Starchaser
by emimar
Summary: Original Character story.
1. Chapter 1

**S****TARCHASER**

**Title:** Starchaser  
**Author Name**: Emimar  
**Characters:** Original Characters  
**Era:** six months after A New Hope - Wedge's Gamble  
**Category:** Action  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Cyhen Hes meets Kopek, who she thinks may fill the void left by the death of Byak. Ryqik and Nakita Dek find it hard to survive on the streets of Nar Shaddaa after the deaths of their parents. Azet, a former Jedi Padawan, falls deeper into the Darkside of the Force. Rivik and Nidet, two Archetypes, become increasingly dissatisfied with the Empire's methods.  
**Disclaimer:** Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. All OCs are mine and may not be used without contacting me first. I make no money from this.

**Author's Note: **If you are interested in Original Character stories, I run a website called Star Wars Character Café and would welcome any submissions!

**C****HAPTER 1**

Ryqik woke up early. Something seemed to compel him to move, to get out. He slipped out of bed and dressed quickly, taking no notice of the fact that the clothes were dirty. He padded out of his room and went along the short corridor to where his younger sister slept. He knocked softly on the door and got no response. He opened it, the door creaking softly on its decade old hinges.

He peered inside. Nakita was curled up and resembled a furry cushion on top of her bed. Evidently she had found it too warm to sleep under the covers. Light filtered through the window and fell on to her furry muzzle, highlighting the subtle greys and browns. Her ears twitched and he thought that she would wake up, but she continued having her adventures inside her world of dreams. Ryqik felt that he could watch his sister sleep forever, so peaceful she was! He didn't want to disturb her. The sudden need to get out of the house that woke him seemed to be fading away.

_Silly_, he told himself. _Nothing could happen here_.

Just as he was about to leave and head back to his room, the sudden need to get out pushed at his mind again. It was so strong that it scraped the inside of his skull.

He crept further inside the room until he was level with Nakita's head and clamped his hand-paw over her mouth and nose. She whimpered softly and sharp pain shot through his fingers as needle sharp teeth nipped him. He drew his hand back in surprise, like someone touching a pan that was too hot to be handled and let out a yip of pain.

"Kita!"

Nakita's orange-yellow eyes flicked open. Ryqik clamped his hand over her muzzle and gestured her to be quiet. He removed his hand and she whispered, "What is it?"

"We have to get out of here. Hurry, get dressed."

Nakita hissed at him, wondering what was so important that her brother would come into her room and wake her up like this.

"Go back to sleep, Ryqik!"

Nakita rolled over so that her back was to him and closed her eyes. The impulse to go was getting more urgent now.

"Kita we have to go. Now!" he snapped, sounding more angry than he intended, his feelings of dread seeping through into his voice.

Kita sighed, pushed her legs over the side of the bed and sleepily got to her feet. Nakita took a little more time over choosing something to wear than her brother had, partly because she wanted to frustrate her brother because he had woken her up when she was having a wonderful dream: of trees and wildflowers, somewhere more beautiful than where she was now, a place that she had never seen but deep inside knew it existed and one day would go there. The other reason was that she just assumed he'd woken her for another silly game of his, not that she didn't enjoy them but she just didn't appreciate getting woken up early in the morning for them! Ryqik waited impatiently. Part of him wanted to go and wake up his parents, but Nakita was taking such a long time already...there just wouldn't be enough time.

He breathed a sigh when she finally got dressed. She was just about to start looking for her favourite toy when Ryqik grabbed her arm, digging his claws in.

"Hey!"

Ryqik stepped over to the window and opened it. He clambered up onto the window sill and jumped down out the other side, landing with a thud on the ferrocreate. A few moments later, he heard the scrabble of claws as Nakita followed suit. He caught her smaller body as she jumped down and with his arm still wrapped about her waist, he led her into hiding behind a pile of rubble just as a repulsor lift truck showed up. Any thought of games and annoyance at being woken up fled Nakita's mind as it was replaced by an instinctive dread.

He felt her tremble in fear against him as a squad of Stormtroopers began piling out. A large Shistavanen male followed the Stormtroopers out of the vehicle and looked over in the direction of their hiding place. He sniffed the air a couple of times, detecting no scent and turned back to the Stormtrooper squad. She struggled against him.

"Mother and Father are still inside!"

It took all his strength to keep her from going back into the building.

"We can't do anything, Kita."

He clung on to her protectively and sensing he was right, Nakita sank back into him, still trembling in fear, hoping their parents would find a way out as the Stormtroopers filed inside. She felt like screaming as she heard blaster shots fired inside, but she didn't, knowing that if she uttered a sound now that they would be dead too.

* * *

The servo-motor of Kopek's mechanical arm whirred as he dropped his hand to his hip and drew his broadsword. He marched through the lounge ahead of the Stormtrooper squad and came up on Nykit standing in the doorway. He heard the soft padding of a running female heading down the corridor.

"There is nowhere to hide, traitor."

Nykit made no reply as he swung his sword at Kopek. The Shistavanen Warrior blocked it, steel clanging on steel as the sword blades met. Kopek's face creased in a snarl, his teeth glinting in the low lit corridor. A growl escaped Nykit's lips as he drew back his heavy blade and crossed swords with him again. A Stormtrooper tried to attack Nykit, only to have the Shistavanen bring the hilt of his sword smashing down on the helmet, shattering the man's skull. Kopek roared at the Stormtroopers to pursue Nykit's mate.

"This one is mine!"

The two Shistavanens circled each other like a pair of strutting wild animals. This time Kopek chose to take the offensive, charging forward, pressing his opponent up against the wall of the corridor. Nykit landed a kick in Kopek's midsection, pushing him back against the wall opposite before bring his blade up to intercept Kopek's next stroke. They broke apart almost immediately only to make contact again, testing both their strength against their own. Saliva dribbled from Nykit's mouth as he stared into the eyes of Kopek. He saw nothing but cruelty there and a desire to kill that would sicken even a predator. Somewhere in the maze of corridors there was the sound of shots being fired.

* * *

Lyet searched Ryqik's room desperately. She flung open the door to his wardrobe, used the Force to levitate the bed. Nothing. Ryqik was nowhere to be found. If she had just stopped to think, to calm herself as Shirak had taught her, then she would have found both her children and got away, but her panic made her thoughts irrational and erratic. She forgot the Jedi calming techniques her brother Shirak had taught her.

She was still searching the room when the first of the Stormtroopers appeared in the doorway. She dropped to the ground and rolled to avoid the first shot before coming lightly to her feet and activating her silver blade. It hummed and crackled as she swung it effectively through the air to block the next blaster shot and sent it ricocheting back at the trooper who had fired it.

She moved forward on nimble feet, deflecting the next shot fired at her before cutting through her next assailant. The corridor was clear of enemies now and she stepped over the bodies. Perhaps Ryqik had gone to Nakita's room and that was where she would find them both.

She encountered another pair of Stormtroopers on her way to her daughter's room, cutting them down without thought or feeling, her only concern getting to her children and protecting them from harm.

* * *

Nykit drew first blood, slashing Kopek across the chest with his blade. Kopek howled in pain and anger, swinging his sword with such force that it shattered both swords on impact. Kopek kicked with all his power at Nykit's midsection, knocking him to the ground. Before he could recover, Kopek drew his blaster set on full power and fired at point blank range a couple of times.

Fire washed over Nykit and he struggled to hold on to life. He tried drawing in a deep breath but his lungs wouldn't respond. He gargled as blood poured into his throat and dripped out of his mouth.

Kopek shot him once more for good measure, just to make sure that he was in fact, indeed, dead.

Joy flooded Kopek's bitter and twisted soul, though he would have loved to make his victim suffer a slower and more painful death. He growled in amusement as he went off in search of Nykit's mate.

* * *

Lyet howled in anguish when she discovered the absence of her children. Then she spotted the open window and the scent of her little ones leading up to it. Pain ripped through her mind as she felt her mate die. She lowered her head and closed her eyes to shut out the pain. Just as she made her mind up to leave, she felt fire sting her back.

She turned, anger making her strong. She lifted one Stormtrooper up off the floor with the Force and flung him with all her hatred against the wall.

Her pups were gone and her mate was dead and all because of these abominations. She had nothing left now accept her desire for vengeance.

She cut down the last of the Stormtroopers just as pain and grief over came her. Her knees lost all their power to support her body and she collapsed to the floor. She was not aware when Kopek entered the room behind her. He padded up behind her softly before seizing the scruff of her neck with his mechanical hand. His artificial fingers pinched the back of her neck. He tilted her head up as he drew his vibroblade, stabbing it into her neck as the base of her skull. Lyet died instantly, her body disappeared before his eyes leaving only a pile of clothes.

Mission accomplished.

* * *

Kopek sank down into the nerf hide covered pilot's seat of his ship, the _Blooded Scimitar_. He tore off the patch that covered his left eye and poked the holocam replacement with the index finger of his flesh hand. He had lost the eye in a fight as an adolescent when he was training to be an Archetype, a cast of elite warriors and hunters whose sole purpose was, in a historical sense, to protect the Senator of the Uvena System. It was Nykit who had been responsible for the loss of his eye. Part of him was satisfied that he had finally gotten his revenge for making him a freak. At the same time as the accident, it was also discovered that Kopek possessed a rare gene that gave him an allergy to bacta. The bacta that the doctors had used to treat him had almost killed him.

The last Senator of the Uvena System had betrayed the Republic during the Clone Wars and lost much of the loyalty of her protectors, the majority of which saw her fall from power as an opportunity for their own gain. Nykit had been one who had stuck by her and for that he deserved death. After much searching, Kopek had found his hideout and that of the Senator's daughter...

His arm he had lost in a fight with Shirak, another one of the traitors who had once been a member of the Jedi Order before he disappeared. Because of his allergy to bacta, Kopek had to have the rest of the arm amputated and replaced with a mechanical one.

In many ways, his enhancements made him more powerful. His mechanical eye allowed him to see light wavelengths that he wouldn't see with his real eye and his mechanical arm was twenty times more powerful than his flesh one. On the other hand, they also made him a freak, an oddity. This made social situations difficult for him as very few Shistavanens had mechanical enhancements. As for females, they tended to shy away from him. Not even his status as an Archetype gave him any advantages there.

His only purpose was to hunt the enemies of his brother, Za. Kopek's first assignment had been to kill Korta Sarc, the Alpha Premier of the Archetypes after the fall of the Uvena System to Republic forces in the early days of the Clone Wars. Kopek had succeeded in that but Za had lost out to Rivik who was now the Alpha Premier of the Archetypes and a suspected Rebel Sympathiser.

Kopek was bitter and violent, cruel and merciless. Not because he had set out to be like that, but because others treated him as inferior, as useless because of his affliction. They inflicted pain on him and he liked inflicting pain on others. It was the only thing that gave him any real satisfaction. When the world was bitter and brutal to you, isn't it only fair that you return those feelings by being bitter and brutal back?

* * *

It was a long time before Ryqik found the courage to emerge from the rubble and renter the building. Nakita had cried herself to sleep and he left her there. He didn't want her to see what had happened to their parents and he had to check to see if they were still alive. He peered cautiously inside the hall way. The scent of ozone, blood and death was strong and he swallowed his fear. He had to know. The lounge looked like a proton torpedo had hit it, broken furniture and other objects scattered everywhere. At least one thing was intact. A hologram of their family. He picked it up and wiped the grime and dust off it before pocketing it.

He found the blackened body of his father in the doorway to his parents' bedroom, his father's shattered broadsword still in his hand. But still, he had fought bravely, giving Ryqik's mother time to check on her children, to try to get them to safety. He passed the body, the sight and smell of it making him feel sick. He caught his mother's scent and found it led to Nakita's bedroom.

He discovered five dead Stormtroopers and a pile of clothes belonging to his mother but no body. Beside the pile of clothes, he found a chrome cylinder. He picked it up and depressed the button on the side and a silver shaft of light sprung from one end, passing through the remains of Nakita's bed.

He had heard enough of the Jedi to know what it was but part of him didn't want to believe it. _His mother a Jedi? No Way!_

He depressed the button again and the shaft disappeared. There was the scent of a strange male Shistavanen all about the house. Ryqik breathed it deep, committing the scent to memory. He had to get back to Nakita. He didn't want her to wake up scared and alone, thinking she'd lost him too. He did a quick search of the house and other than finding some crusty, nasty tasting survival rations and a warm blanket, he found nothing useful.

He threw up the contents of his stomach when he left the building, sinking down with his back pressed up against the wall while he recovered his faculties. He spat out the foul taste of bile, glad that Nakita hadn't seen what he had.

Nakita woke up when he re-entered their hiding place. Just one look at her brother told Nakita that their parents were gone. Ryqik offered her one of the rations.

"I'm not hungry, Ryqik." How could she eat at a time like this? Her stomach left hollow and empty inside, though strangely, she didn't feel like eating.

"LOOK YOU HAVE TO EAT!" Ryqik snarled at her, angry at the Stormtroopers, the strange Shistavanen, his parents for being dead and Nakita for being a stubborn little lupa.

Nakita let out a series of whines that got more high pitched with every second that passed. Ryqik inched over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders until it passed, realising that she was just a pup. "I'm sorry, Kita."

When she recovered, Nakita realised that she was hungry and accepted one of the survival rations. After they had eaten, they curled up to sleep together under the blanket, body heat and the scent of their bodies keeping them warm and giving them comfort on their first night alone in the galaxy.

* * *

Kopek had to leave the _Blooded Scimitar_ docked on the Imperial Star Destroyer, _Dauntless_ that orbited Uvena III and make planetside in an Imperial Lander. Kopek would have much preferred to go down in his vessel - he hated the stares and whispered derogatory comments uttered by the Imperial drones, known as the Star Destroyer's deck officers.

A source of annoyance was that he had to share the passenger compartment with two Imperial officers, Commander Navunax and Commander Mellibai. Kopek had met the two commanders before on a few occasions, but didn't know them well.

Navunax was a young, efficient looking human (at he thought he gave that appearance.), with short cropped dark hair, in his late twenties. Think of arrogant, well-off desk monkey cum TIE Fighter Commander. Kopek doubted he would last five seconds in an Archetype training match.

Mellibai was older and beginning to grow a spare tyre around his stomach, the result of too much time sitting around at his desk on the Star Destroyer and not enough time out in the field. He had a missing finger on his right hand that suggested he was the officer in charge of ground forces and Kopek almost felt a kinship with the human because of it, which made his skin crawl. He sported a neatly trimmed beard and hair, both of which were beginning to grey.

Both, however, avoided conversation and Kopek was glad of that. It was bad enough that he had to share the cabin with them, never mind having to listen to their mewing of how great they were because they were Imperials.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Imperial Lander docked on a landing platform on the edge of the Government Sector of Terhan, the capital of Uvena III. Kopek was glad to get out of the confines of the Imperial Lander and out of the Military docking bay. There was a larger Spaceport that catered for commercial shipping and tourism (what little there was of it.), the Military docking bay was reserved for Imperial Personnel and VIPs.

The first thing Kopek noticed was that it was the middle of the day on that side of Uvena III.

To the north was his destination, the _Hall of the Archetype Council_. He would have to debrief the mission before his peers and the Imperial Governor, which he was so not looking forward to.

Terhan was composed of three main sectors. The government buildings, Including what was once the _Senator's Palace_, which was now, among other things, home to the Imperial Governor, serving as a retreat from the hustle of Uvena Prime, the real home of the Uvena System's Central Government and the _Hall of the Archetype Council_. These were raised above the rest of the city on a plateau like some ancient sleeping monster. Once the symbol of freedom and justice for the inhabitants of Uvena III and the rest of the System. Now, it was the heart of a corrupt and evil regime that had Uvena III in its grip. The greed and darkness of Palpatine had stretched far in the galaxy and like trees striped of leaves in winter months did hope barely cling to life.

In the centre of the government plaza, was a giant statue of Palpatine standing twelve metres high. Once, a statue of the Senator Mizet had stood in its place, next to a statue of the Jedi Master Raqak. But after their betrayal of Palpatine's New Order, the statues had been torn down and replaced by the one of Palpatine.

Most of the Archetypes lived in the palace, in the lower levels of its megalithic structure, but Kopek lived apart, on the border between the government sector and the trade sector. Most of the trade sector was run down now, the result of heavy taxation and the abolition of ship building on Uvena III, imposed as a way of subduing the Shistavanen opposition to the Empire. Some lucky individuals had gotten contracts for space exploration, searching for rebel settlements but after a few scouts had defected to the rebels, that activity was outlawed and even those who had gotten off the planet were out of employment.

The largest sector consisted of housing for the civilians and weapons factories for the Empire. There had once been the _Uvenan University of Starship Engineering_ which had been responsible for the building of the Uvenan fleet, but the Empire had forced that to close and its students, researchers and professors were now forced to work for the Empire in the weapons factories.

Kopek reached the steps leading into the _Hall of the Archetypes_. He had walked there from the Military docking bay partly to delay his arrival at the Hall and partly because he didn't want to end up unfit like Mallibai.

As he made his way to the Council Chamber, he passed through corridors lined with wooden panelling and paintings depicting prominent Archetype warriors of the past.

Surprisingly, little had changed here since the latter days of the old Republic. But even among the Archetypes, the last vestige of the old ways had began to show signs of rot.

When he entered the Chamber, the Council, along with several Imperials had gathered. Governor Riyadah was sat in the centre of the round table that was shaped with the symbol of the Empire at the far end of the room. He was flanked by Captain Jed Darkfyre, the officer in charge of the Dauntless on his right. On his left was the grotesque obese figure of Laej, Riyadah's aide. Flanking each of these were Commander Navunax and Commander Mellibai, both of whom had gotten there before him because they had taken a speeder. Directly opposite Riyadah sat Rivik, the Alpha Premier of the Archetypes. At either side of him was seated the Senior Archetypes, Nidet and Kopek's brother, Za.

To make sure that the Archetypes behaved themselves, there were Stormtroopers to guard the Governor and his Officers.

"It is good of you to finally arrive, Archetype Kopek," Riyadah said.

"The mission was a success. Senator Mizet's daughter Lyet and the traitor Nykit are dead," Kopek reported.

"Where are the Stormtroopers that accompanied you on the mission?" Commander Mellibai asked.

"They died on the mission. You have so many of them that it wouldn't make much difference."

"You lost a whole squad of Stormtroopers to eliminate two aliens?" Laej asked, contempt in his voice. "This is what happens when you send an animal to do a man's job."

"Excuse me, Aide, but those men who accompanied Archetype Kopek are dead. It's not a matter of whether humans are better than Shistavanens, but who is the better warrior," Nidet said.

"Besides, Lyet was the spawn of a Jedi. A squad of your clones are nothing to them," Za said, on one of the rare occasions that he defended his brother. "Now that they are gone, there is no threat to our control of the Uvena System."

"Our control? Don't you mean the Empire's control?" Laej said, smugly. In spite of the fact that he was a mere Aide, he had a tendency to be conceited.

"You may have control of our System, human, but you lack the control of the Shistavanen soul…," Nidet retorted.

Rivik silenced her with a dark look. "We are not here to fight with our allies, Nidet."

Nidet flattened her ears against her skull. "Of course, Alpha Premier. Accept my apologies."

"Archetype Kopek, would you mind relating to us exactly what happened?" Governor Riyadah asked.

* * *

Night had fallen over the city of Terhan when Kopek left the _Hall of the Archetype Council_. As he left, he was torn between heading home or visiting one of the cantinas in the civilian sector. The cantinas seemed to be the only places that did well in the city. Everyone needed to forget their problems and the best way to do that was to drown themselves in alcohol. Kopek had to agree with them as he decided on the latter.

After spending the best part of twelve hours being interrogated by the Senior Archetypes and getting ridiculed for losing his whole Stormtrooper contingent by the Aide of the Imperial Governor for the Uvena System and its out lying sectors, Kopek needed to wind down.

Get into a couple of brawls, maybe and if he was really lucky find a female to spend sometime with. He walked to the cantina, making his way through the winding streets, thinking. He took pleasure in walking the streets at night. There were so few to stare at his mechanical arm. That was what people usually saw when they met him. They didn't see him as a warrior, only as a freak with a machine for a limb.

He entered his usual hunting ground, a cantina called the _Drunken Ronto_ which was run by a human male with what seemed to be five or six beer bellies. Silly name, really but he didn't go for that. He liked the live band when they had one (emphasis on the word live: the band usually got smoked if they sucked) and the Lomin ale was excellent and inexpensive. The other reason why he liked the place was because it was frequented by bounty hunters, smugglers, mercenaries and the like. There was always something to keep him amused. Then there was the occasional Rebel, whom he just loved to dispatch because they were there. Rebels.

With his mechanical eye, he didn't need to stand at the top of the stairs for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Smoke from several intoxicants made grey trails in the air. On the far wall, a holoscreen played a tacky holodrama depicting a Jedi who had fallen in love with a princess from twenty years ago. No one was paying it much attention. Tacky holodrama aside, there was one final reason he liked to visit the _Drunken Ronto_.

There was her. That golden furred Shistavanen Wolfwoman. The authorities wanted her dead or captured alive because she was a smuggler and a suspected Rebel Sympathiser.

He wondered if she was there now as he wondered over to the bar. Most of the patrons moved to get out of his way. When he got to the bar and waited for his drink, he noticed the golden furred Shistavanen sat at a table in a corner talking with a known Rebel suspect.

As an Archetype, he was familiar with Rebel suspects.

He sipped his drink slowly, glancing every so often through the corner of his eye, to make sure she was still there.

* * *

Cyhen recognised Kopek as soon as he'd walked in. The mechanical arm and the fake eye gave him away. She didn't know him by name but by the fact that he had shown an interest in her previously and Cyhen's suspicions were only heightened when he got to the bar and looked in her direction.

"I think we shall have to leave this for another time," she said to her companion.

The human nodded his agreement.

"I'll contact you by the usual means," Cyhen told him as he stood up and left. Cyhen knew him only as Darkmoon, which was obviously a code name.

She stayed after her companion left, not wanting to appear paranoid and studied the cyborg in more detail. There was something about him that she found compelling, attractive even, but she sensed a brutal-ness about him. Not that she was a Jedi or Force sensitive in any way. She'd just had enough experience to know a psycho when she saw one.

She took note of the behaviour of the crowd about him. Humans and other species gave him a wide berth, unless they themselves were large and powerful and felt like they could take him on in a fight. Other Shistavanens avoided him too, not because they were afraid of him like the others, but because of his differences, notably his prosthetic arm. Most people aren't bad to begin with. Most have it forced upon them by their circumstances or because of being hurt in the past. Some rise above it, some don't and others have never known any different and so don't change.

Cyhen had no love for the Empire. During her childhood, her parents had been massacred by the Clone Army during the Clone Wars. Her "Uncle", an ageing Archetype who had trained her father, had raised her. When she was about fourteen, she returned home to find her uncle murdered and her home in ruins. She'd buried his body and planted a sapling on his grave that while in life he had grown from seeds gathered in the forest. She'd constructed a barrier around the grave to stop wild animals from damaging the sapling and left the ruins behind.

After a year doing what ever work she could to survive, she joined up with some mercenaries, learning the art of survival. When she turned sixteen, she became the lover of their leader, a male Shistavanen called Byak. The group disbanded after one of their members had betrayed them to a rival band. Byak had been killed and she inherited Byak's ship, the _Starchaser_.

Cyhen finished her reminiscing of the past and drained the last of her drink. She decided to leave then and draped the shapeless cloak over her head and shoulders as she left her seat.

* * *

From his place at the bar, Kopek noticed the golden furred female leave and a dark figure follow her. This tugged at his curiosity and he rose from his stool to follow her, leaving his glass half full. He kept a distance of ten metres between them.

Outside, the stars had been obscured by clouds and a light drizzle was falling from the sky, wetting the wiry guard hairs of his dark brown pelt. His mechanical eye picked up the small indents in the grit covered road left by the sharp claws of their feet. There were two distinct sets. A small set, obviously the golden furred female's and a larger set which indicated a male slightly smaller than himself. He sniffed the air and recognised the scent of one of the Archetypes. It was weak, the scent obscured by the drizzle and the invisible trail of pheromones left by the female.

It was Jahen, a young arrogant male whom Kopek couldn't stand at all. He smiled to himself as his hand moved to the disrupter holstered on his hip. Then he changed his mind and opted for his vibroblade. He couldn't risk hitting the golden furred female by accident.

He could find a use for her, perhaps even-

No, she'd never go with him.

He forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

Cyhen knew from the moment she stepped out of the cantina and into the night drizzle that she was being followed. The cloak protected her from the rain and she was glad of having the hindsight to bring it out with her. Mostly it was to disguise her unusual fur colour. Golden fur was not common among her species. It was mostly dark brown, black, dark grey or a combination of the colours. A pelt of only white fur was uncommon except in the regions close to the poles. Albinos were almost unheard of.

There were few walking the streets at this hour and the closeness of the buildings made her feel uneasy, like prey that knew it was being hunted and had no way of knowing from where the predator might strike.

She didn't head for the shoddy flat that over looked the the spaceport where her beautiful Starchaser was docked. To go there would be like inviting a Krayt Dragon home. She didn't want to be out of control of the situation and decided to choose the strike herself.

Her hand dropped to the blaster at her hip and she turned suddenly to fend off her pursuer. The large male reacted before she could fire, kicking the blaster from her hand with practised ease before knocking her forcefully to the ground.

Cyhen held her hand in pain as she watched death approach her. The large male hefted his broadsword and Cyhen closed her eyes, waiting for the blow to take her life, but it didn't come. She opened her eyes and her attacker lay dead to one side, killed by a vibroblade hurled at the base of his skull.

Standing over her was the male with the prosthetic arm and eye. The rain had begun to fall heavier now and fell in large, heavy drops that not even the cloak could protect her from. He held out his flesh paw to her, she took it and helped her to her feet.

"Thank you," she murmured as their eyes met. She looked away nervously.

"No problem," he knelt down in the rain to retrieve his vibroblade and then turned his disrupter on the body to destroy all evidence of his death.

"We'd better get out of this rain. My flat isn't far from here," Cyhen said.

The only evidence that anyone had actually been killed there was the blood that was washed away by the rain.

* * *

There wasn't much in Cyhen's flat accept things that made it liveable. She was away a lot and found little time to accumulate things that she didn't need for survival. In fact, her ship the _Starchaser_ was more comfortable, but at least the ceiling didn't rain like it was doing now.

The poky kitchen opened out into the lounge area that consisted of a chair, a holovid and a table. The only other rooms were a bedroom and a bathroom. Cyhen had moved into the flat shortly after Byak was killed, leaving most of her possessions behind in the haste to find a place to live where her old enemies couldn't track her down.

From the floor where he sat, Kopek watched Cyhen who had changed into a tight fitting purple top and blue trousers make a warm drink to chase away the chills brought on by the rain. Kopek was draped in a blanket while his clothes dried on a radiator. Cyhen returned from the kitchen with a pair of steaming mugs of hot chocolate in her hands. Outside, the wind bashed droplets of rain so hard against the window that Kopek thought it would shatter. She passed one of the mugs to Kopek who took it with his flesh hand.

Cyhen set hers down on the table as she sat opposite him.

"It looks like the rain will be here for the night. You can stay here, if you wish."

Kopek nodded. Part of him wanted to go, but he forced himself to stay. He'd had enough of running away from things that might make him happy. Perhaps this was going to be a good night after all.

"Why did you save me?" Cyhen blurted out suddenly.

Kopek considered his answer. The most obvious and truthful one that came to mind was that he found her attractive and wanted to spend the night with her, but if he said that, she'd likely kick him in a very sensitive area and so wouldn't do. So he told her the first of his half truths.

"I couldn't let Jahen kill you. He was intruding in my sector and I couldn't allow that."

Cyhen looked at him confused. "I don't understand-"

"I'm an Archetype. So was he."

Cyhen nodded her understanding. "That's why you destroyed the body, correct?"

"Yes."

Cyhen regarded him sceptically for a moment. "I thought you were a bounty hunter," she said, trying to trap him. She'd been hunted by bounty hunters before and from what her uncle told her, Archetypes just didn't go round killing each other, but then that was before the Empire...

Kopek creased his lips to reveal his long canines in amusement. "In a way, my kind are."

Cyhen still didn't know what to make of him, but he had saved her life. Cyhen reached forward and deliberately ran her hand over his mechanical arm. It was cold to the touch. Kopek stared into her eyes. His prosthetics didn't repulse her.

Cyhen suddenly felt tired and she finished the rest of her drink.

"Sure you'll be alright out here tonight?" Cyhen asked him. She still felt shaken over the attack and felt she could do with the company of someone.

"I'll be fine, Cyhen," Kopek replied, cursing himself for his own stupidity.

"You know where to find me if you change your mind."

* * *

Cyhen lay awake for almost a hour waiting for Kopek to appear in the doorway. The sound of him snoring, a load rumbling sound mixed with the occasional growl reached her ears through the thin door. She sighed and turned over onto her side before finally dropping off to sleep alone. 


	2. Chapter 2

**S****TARCHASER**

**C****HAPTER 2**

A growling stomach woke Nakita from her sleep. For a moment she wondered where she was and then remembered all the events that had occurred the day before. The fear, the loss of her parents. Part of her didn't want to believe it, part of her couldn't believe it. The ground was hard and her back was stiff.

She got up to stretch, her movement waking up Ryqik. He rolled on to his back and sat up before heaving himself up from the cold ground.

"What do we do now?" Nakita asked.

"I don't know, Kita. Find food, I guess."

He took hold of Nakita's hand and they wondered out into the streets. It soon became clear that without any money they wouldn't get anything to eat and short of getting lucky and finding a lost wallet, they wouldn't get any money. Ryqik had forgotten to look for it in his grief and he didn't want to go back to the scene of his parents' death. Most people just ignored them, seeing that they weren't worth bothering about because they didn't have anything. Store owners shoed them away from their establishments because they didn't trust street urchins. No one gave them a sympathetic glance. Passers by didn't have anytime for them, or just didn't care and in a place like Nar Shaddaa being unnoticed was probably the best strategy they had for survival, because if you did call attention to yourself, that usually resulted in getting your brains splattered. They witnessed one such unlucky thief fall foul of that.

By midday, neither of them could stand the hunger anymore and they perched on a ruined wall, watching, waiting, looking for a chance. One street vendor selling fried dewback ribs was getting alot of business. The problem was that the owner was a Gotal. But with all the sentients around, then surely one of them would get close enough to sneak something away without being noticed.

A plan was already forming in Ryqik's mind and he quietly communicated it to Nakita. Nakita left the wall and pushed her way through the press of pedestrians until she was close to the stand. Ryqik went to the opposite end of the stand and accidentally on purpose bumped a vat of cooking oil as he pretended to trip up, spilling it all over a nearby Aqualish. The enraged Aqualish took a swing at him with his fist, which the lithe young Shistavanen was quick enough to dodge. The Aqualish's punch connected with a Trandoshan instead and a fight ensued.

In the following confusion, Nakita pilfered two portions of dewback ribs and slunk away without being noticed. They met up a couple of blocks away.

Ryqik grinned at her. "That was fun," he said.

"Hey, smooth move back there," a male Bothan a little older than Nakita said, coming to a stop a half a metre away from them. "Name's Ziqi, expert thief. I've been trying to pull one over on Horns for months and not succeeded."

"If you're such an expert, how come you've never succeeded?" Ryqik said. "Beat it, flea."

"Ryqik, stop being horrible," Nakita said, turning to the Bothan. "I'm Nakita."

"That's a nice name," Ziqi said. "I meant to congratulate you and not him anyway. Draws too much attention to himself, like a Wookiee at an Imp's cocktail party. Though, I've got some moves I could teach you."

"Yeah, I bet you have," Ryqik snarled at him. "Let's go, Kita. Mother told us never to associate with street rats."

"But we're street rats, now too, Ryqik. He could know things..."

"He's only after our food, Kita. Come on." He grabbed hold of Nakita's arm and dragged her away.

"Suit ya self, newbee! You won't last a week without my help!" Ziqi yelled after them.

After a few minutes of searching, they found an abandoned apartment to eat in. The lower levels of Nar Shaddaa were honeycombed with old abandoned and forgotten hideaways that were the homes and refuges of street urchins. Ryqik found some old rags and blankets that he made into a comfortable seat and they settled down to eat their stolen meal. Yes, it had been fun but they both felt frightened and alone and both wished they could go home but knew that was impossible. Ryqik had not told her what he had found in their home. He told her the bodies of their parents had been taken away. There was no need to upset her unduly.

After eating, Nakita went to sleep. Ryqik watched her breathing until he himself became tired and slept himself, wondering how they would get through tomorrow.

* * *

Za looked out of the window to the giant mountains to the north. He could look at them for hours, losing himself in the rocky features. The tops were so high that they were constantly obscured by clouds. A deciduous forest grew at the base of the range and slowly turned into a coniferous forest the higher up in altitude you went. In the winter, the deciduous line was barren and devoid of colour but the coniferous line retained the green all year round. Then as it became too cold and dry for trees to grow, short stubby shrubs grew in cracks sheltered from the battering wind until even they couldn't find a foothold and the mountain became just bare rock and ice.

Part of Za's Archetype training had been to climb the mountains and to survive without contact with the outside world for six months. Not all the trainees in his group had survived. Some fell victim to lose rocks and plummeted to their deaths, others starved from lack of food, (if you didn't catch anything, then you didn't eat.) and the cold was too much for some.

It had all been necessary to protect her, Mizet, the betrayer. Za himself had not escaped unscathed by the ordeal. His mate had been among those that had died. As he looked out at the mountains, he thought of her. Still, like most dangerous things, the mountains had held their own beauty, the views, clean stream water trickling down the mountain and the clear stars at night when above the cloud line.

Soon, it would all the Uvena System would be his. All he had to do now was eliminate Mizet's son and then depose Rivik and the Imperial Governor.

He turned from the window and took the private turbolift down into the basement where he practised his fighting techniques.

* * *

He wasn't surprised to find Azet meditating in the basement. Azet was his right hand, when he needed subtlety instead of brute force to meet his ends. Kopek was good at bullying, threatening and cracking heads but sometimes the best weapon he needed was information about what his enemies were up to and Azet was the best way of getting that information.

She had been a frightened sixteen year old when he and Za had found her, just after the fall of the Jedi Temple. She was just a Padawan at the time, being hunted by Palpatine's minions to eradicate all traces of the Jedi and any who might be a threat to his power. Za had saved her from all of that, seeing a way he could use her skills to his advantage. He'd given Kopek the task of finding forbidden Sith artefacts for her, so she could learn the ways of the Sith and get revenge on those who had killed and persecuted her friends.

From her Jedi training, she knew the fighting techniques of lightsabre combat. Za and Kopek had taught her the techniques of the Archetypes and Azet blended the two together to form a style that was her own.

However, it takes more than skill with a lightsabre coupled with hatred and anger and a desire for revenge to make a successful Sith or Dark Jedi. You needed patience and subtlety, an ability to deceive and manipulate while at the same time appearing honourable and the champion of good causes on the outside.

That is what makes a Sith a dangerous foe, and enabled Palpatine to rise to power under the very noses of the Jedi Council. Deceiving a bunch of Imperials would be easy compared to that!

Azet had been working to eliminate Za's rivals among the Archetypes. First, she searched for an indiscretion, such as a connection to smuggling, treason (working with the Rebels or plotting to depose Palpatine and put themselves in power.), anything dark or devious that would result in their fall. Sometimes she didn't find anything and when that occurred, she'd fabricate something or trick them into doing something illegal.

So far, she'd never killed anyone directly, though her activities had caused the execution of many of Za's enemies. The only one he had been unable to touch was Rivik. Most thought she was just Za's lover and in a way they were right.

After several long minutes, Azet rose gracefully from her cross-legged posture and turned her intense yellow eyed gaze upon him. She had jet black fur with silver tipped hairs on her face and hands. She was dressed in a tight top and short trousers that ended just below her knees, the way she always did when training.

She regarded Za and bared her teeth at him playfully before using the Force to float a steel sword into her hands. Without saying a word, Za drew his. They circled each other for a moment before clashing their blades together, Za relying on the power of his muscles to win the fight.

Azet fought with speed and manipulation, trying to lure Za into making a mistake that would cost him his life in a real fight situation. Za didn't fall for her deceptions easily. He had practiced with her, trained with her and knew most of her tricks by heart.

Azet became a little frustrated as Za counteracted every single one of them, she was becoming predictable, it seemed and she hated that. She also knew that to lose her temper completely would be her downfall, in that she would take a stupid risk in her frustration and end up losing the fight. That was exactly what Za wanted her to do. Perhaps Za wouldn't have made a bad Sith, if he had been Force sensitive.

She continued being predictable for a while, deflecting Za's blows, leading him into an over confidence that would be his undoing.

Za's face was a mask of single minded determination, not revealing the joy that he felt inside. He was winning, or so he thought.

He swung his sword at her, putting all his body and strength behind it, hoping to cast away or at least shatter the sword in her hand. Just before the swords connected, Azet stepped aside so that he would over balance and she gave him a little shove with the Force that sent him tumbling to the floor.

She stepped on to his hand that was holding the sword, disarming him. He let out a groan of pain as the bones in his hand cracked but didn't break. She straddled him and nicked the surface of his skin with the tip of her sword, just deep enough so that it would bleed, but not heavily.

"Do you yield, Za?" she whispered softly in his ear, half harshly, half seductively. She had him just where she wanted him. With the claw tips of her free hand, she tickled him behind the ears and they twitched in response to her touch.

"You win, this time, Azet," Za yipped playfully.

Azet bent her head and flicked her tongue out to taste Za's blood, growling softly. Azet used the Force to float both swords to the other side of the room, away from them. She slackened her hold on him and as she did so, Za suddenly pinned her to the floor.

Force lightning crackled at the tips of Azet's fingers, an instinctive reaction to defend herself. She cut it off when she realised there was no threat, but not without giving Za a mild electric shock. She grinned at the pain creased on his face.

"Serves you right," she growled softly. She could feel his excitement mounting in his tense muscles and emotions as his muzzle came closer to hers. Za could feel the hurried beating of her pounding heart beneath him. Her eyes shone like twin suns set against the blackness of space as their fangs locked together. Za's comlink buzzed and he rose stiffly and angrily from the floor as he switched it on.

"This had better be important!" he barked into the receiver.

"Forgive me for disturbing you, but Governor Riyadah requests your presence immediately!" squeaked Laej, the greedy, overweight pile of blubber that consumed food like a Neimoidian accumulated credits who was the Governor Riyadah's Aide. When he wasn't stuffing his face, ogling females that wouldn't touch him with a barge pole or ridiculing Archetypes for their "incompetence" he was scuttling around like a scared womp rat. None of the Archetypes liked him and all would gladly blast his head off if the Governor didn't execute anyone for treason if they did.

Azet retrieved Za's sword using the Force and Za caught it in the air before sheathing it.

"I'm sorry, Azet. I have to go."

Azet sighed as Za left and she headed for the quarters she shared with Za. After showering and changing into a silver gown, she entered the secret chamber that housed her Sith artefacts. Among them were ancient documents and a necklace set with a red lifestone that enhanced the Darkside's power.

At times like this, she wished she had another to train, to share the secrets of the Force with. She wondered for the hundredth time why she didn't have a child by now, to train, to be with her when Za wasn't around. It wasn't for the lack of trying.

Her hand curled around the most important and rare artefact of all, the Sith holocron, before going back into the bedroom.

Outside, she could see the statue of the Emperor and loathed it. It was he who had caused her to be alone, he'd who had destroyed her friends, her home, her reason for caring about anything. She cursed Za for saving her, she should be dead along with the rest of the Jedi. At least then she would no longer know the pain of being alone, having to hide what you are, not showing others your true self and having to keep them away in case they found out what you were and betrayed you or worse, fear you and reject you. Even Za only kept her around for what he could get out of her and the only reason she stayed was because he was her only chance of no longer being alone and her best chance of getting revenge on the one who had made her this way.

The statue was a daily reminder of her pain and loneliness and she wanted to turn it into dust the way it had turned her life to dust, but she would get more satisfaction of killing the real Palpatine and taking away the thing that mattered most to him. His power.

She activated the holocron to learn the secrets of her foe, so that she could know how to defeat him.

* * *

A strange scent caused Ryqik to rise from his sleep. He shook the fogginess from his head and woke Nakita. She yawned sleepily and sniffed the air.

"Company," she said and Ryqik nodded.

Their eyes quickly adjusted to the low light levels and they were in the process of sneaking past the group of drunken street thugs when Nakita tripped up and sent containers clattering to the floor. The two Shistavanens looked at each other with trepidation and froze, hoping the darkness and the intoxicants would work to their advantage.

"What was that?"

Light from a glow rod was pointed in their direction and they tried to make themselves as invisible as possible.

"There's nothing there, you moron."

"I tell you, I heard something-"

The two thugs argued back and forth and traded insults until their leader silenced them.

"There is something there, I can smell it."

The leader, a Cathor male inched forward, pushing his minions aside. His light sensitive eyes picked out the shapes of the two young Shistavanens.

He let out a laugh, a spitting, mewing sound. "Well, well, look what we have here. A pair of lost puppies."

Ryqik placed himself protectively between his sister and the gang of thugs advancing on them. He realised too late that the abandoned hideout belonged to the street thugs. In the darkness, he saw the flash of light from one of the few remaining street lamps reflecting off a vibroblade as it was drawn and heard the soft, pulsating thrum of its activation. He could smell Nakita's fear and he feared more for her than for himself. He didn't want to lose her. She was his world.

"You know what happens to stray puppies, don't you? They get put down," the Cathor continued and his companions laughed at their leader's sick joke.

Ryqik got a good whiff of the Cathor's breath. It was laced heavily with alcohol and another substance he couldn't identify. It was that which was making them act this way and a sense of perverted enjoyment of seeing others suffer pain.

Ryqik quickly realised that they weren't much older than himself, two, maybe three years older. Still, that didn't make them any less dangerous and even though it was alcohol mixed with something else that was making them act this way, Ryqik had no sympathy for them. He had been unable to prevent the death of his parents but he wasn't going to let them hurt Kita. He reached inside his pocket and emitted a low, throaty growl.

"Oh, that's really scary, little mutt."

Ryqik's fingers curled around the handle of his lightsabre. He brought it out and depressed the switch that activated it and the room was illuminated with a silver glow.

Ryqik stepped forward and swung his lightsabre at the thug with the vibroblade, slicing him in two before he even realised what he was doing.

The rest turned and fled, Ryqik switched off the lightsabre and turned to Nakita, a mixture of fear, relief and amazement on her face.

He smiled at her, warm and friendly and she threw her arms around him for the second time in two days, cried out her fear. When her trembling ceased, Ryqik took her hand in his and led her out into the night.

"We'd better get out of here, Kita."

* * *

Azet deactivated the Sith holocron and returned it to the secret chamber. As she was resealing the entrance, Za entered, in a bad mood. "What did they want?"

"Darkfyre and Mallibai are still sore about the loss of the Stormtrooper squad. As they couldn't find Kopek to give him an earful, they decided to target me instead-"

"I could get rid of him for you, if he is such an annoyance."

"Kopek is too valuable. Besides, I need to keep your true existence quiet until the time is right."

"You are tense, Za. I can relax you a little."

"That would be good..."

* * *

Azet made her way through the dark forest. Everything seemed larger, more real than it was, but there was also a dreamlike surrealness to her surroundings. Through the trees, she could see a pale, silver light. She made her way towards it and as things were with dreams, she suddenly found herself at the edge of a clearing, even though when she'd first seen the light it had seemed several metres away.

In the middle sat a large male Shistavanen with his shirtless back towards her, staring at the blade of a silver lightsabre. Through his fur, she could see the knotted muscles made powerful by a lifetime of constant fighting though he looked to be only in his early twenties.

There was something familiar about him and the name of a Jedi she once knew came to mind. Shirak. But it wasn't Shirak. Shirak had never wielded a silver blade. His had been green and he would have aged now, if he was still alive. This one was young, just starting out on his life's journey but even so, he had the look of one who had known more suffering than many sentients three times his age.

The vision faded and Azet was falling through the darkness of space. A star loomed dangerously close before her and she was being pulled into its fiery maw by its gravity.

Azet felt hot, hotter than she had ever felt in her life before...

* * *

Azet sat bolt upright in bed, almost disturbing the sleeping Za at her side. Her mouth felt dry and caused her to let out a small cough, but that didn't help. She pulled back the covers and swung her legs out of bed before reaching for the velvet robe that hung on the door of the wardrobe. She slipped it on and tied the sash at the her waist before walking bare foot into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

She didn't feel like going back to bed and decided to take a stroll in one of the walled gardens. The palace was over five hundred years old and displayed much of the original designs, art work and culture that defined the Shistavanen people before the Empire had arrived. Much of it was centred around the hunt but they were also a curious species, wanting to explore and find new places just for the excitement of being somewhere that no others of their species had ever been before. The palace was the only thing left of those times but even that was over shadowed by the statue of Palpatine. He didn't need to be present physically for the inhabitants of the palace to know his presence. The statue did that much pretty well for him.

Her claws clicked on the stone as she padded her way down the corridor to the steps that led out into her favourite garden. She came to the large hardwood door that opened out into the gardens and paused for a moment before opening it.

Her nose was assaulted by the scent of night blooming flowers and the night insects buzzed and hummed in the foliage. Much of the vegetation was native to the planet. The Shistavanens didn't believe in choking up their environment with things that didn't belong there. Much like the Imperial Occupation and the statue of Palpatine. A non-native plant would compete ruthlessly with the native species and if left unchecked would eventually cause the extinction of native plants and the diversity of wildlife would diminish because of it. That was what was happening to the Shistavanens at the moment. They were in a war where their way of life was being choked out by invaders and would eventually die out or worse, exist in a cage, like the last specimen of an endangered species and slowly dying alone because they couldn't fulfil what they were meant to.

As Azet made her way through the starlit garden, she heard voices. She recongnised them as Rivik and Nidet. She peered through the screen of carnivorous starflowers and saw the silhouettes of the two Archetypes.

"Lyet was our best hope for freedom. Now she is gone-" Rivik was saying.

Nidet took Rivik's larger paw in hers. "We will find a way. We need to find Shirak," she mentioned the name of the Shistavanen Jedi that had been Lyet's twin brother. He had disappeared and no one knew if he was dead or alive, or even if he was still a Jedi.

"No. The Jedi are gone. If we are to fight Palpatine, it must be us and us alone, because we can't rely on anyone else."

"That was the way Senator Mizet thought," Nidet pointed to the statue of Palpatine, which was just visible over the garden wall, seemingly glaring down on the disloyal traitors like an angry god regarding blasphemers. "And that's what happened! We just aren't powerful enough."

"I will speak to Za and the-"

"Speak to Za! He just wants to take power for himself! Why do you think he had Lyet killed anyway?"

"Ok. I'll not speak to Za. There are others who will want to taste freedom. We'll finish what Mizet began and if we are destroyed in the process, then it is better than living under the shadow of that," he indicated the statue. If Nidet had interrupted him like that in front of other Archetypes, he would not have even considered her view.

Nidet nodded. He was right. They must fight back, even if doing so meant they met the same fate as Mizet herself. To do nothing would mean the Empire would win anyway. Nidet rose up on her claws and kissed his muzzle before turning to go back into the palace.

Rivik watched her go and followed a few moments later. He yelped in pain when he stubbed his toe on something hard. The moon appeared from behind a cloud and he looked down to see what had hurt his foot. It was a fragment of stone. He bent to pick it up and held it in his paws. On closer inspection, he found that it was part of the lightsabre handle from the destroyed statue of Raqak. Rivik smiled to himself. The Jedi might be gone but their legacy still lived on. It felt like even now, the Jedi guardian was still there in spirit, still looking out for them.

Azet watched Rivik disappear up the steps and into the palace. She was confused. A Jedi her people needed, not a Sith. But a Sith is the only thing powerful enough to defeat a Sith. If it was otherwise, then why where the Jedi extinct?

A fluttering movement caught her eye. It was a moth, attracted to the starflowers by their scent, a promise of sweet nectar. But as soon as the moth landed, the petals contracted around it and Azet watched in morbid fascination as the trapped creature died and the digestion process begun.

Azet smiled to herself. The sight pleased her.

* * *

Cyhen was having her ears assaulted again by _Extreme Mynock Infestation_ as she sauntered over to the bar in the _Swooper's Inferno_. She spotted Lakah Vete, her best friend, over at the bar. She pushed her way through the other beings, a mixture of Shistavanens and other races.

"Hey Lupa," Lakah smiled at her friend.

Cyhen told her about her encounter with Kopek as she waited for the Twi'lek bar tender to finish serving a group of Gotals.

"An Archetype? Are you mad!" Lakah exclaimed. Cyhen gestured her to be quiet as they were drawing unwanted attention from the other patrons.

"What'll it be?" the female Twi'lek asked.

"Corellian ale," Cyhen ordered her drink from the bartender and when it arrived, the two wolfwomen found a darkened alcove where they could continue the conversation away from eavesdroppers.

"Lupa, you know that Archetypes are working for the Imps now. After our little manoeuvre over at Tornaq V -"

"Don't you think I know that, Lark? Of course I do! But I think Kopek is different to the others."

"Kopek - I've heard of him before -" Lakah said, lapping at her Corellian ale. "Isn't he the one with the metal arm and the fake eye?"

"Yes -"Cyhen said, catching her friend's concerned look.

"And you took him to your place?"

Cyhen could see where this was going. "He saved my life, Lakah and it was the least I could do."

"Look, Lupa, if I were you, I'd get a new address. There are rumours flying around about this guy. They think he assassinated Korta Sarc, the old Alpha Premier because he was still loyal to the Senator Mizet. There was never enough proof, so he got off the charge. There are other things too, disappearances of other Archetypes, mainly, but no one knows if he had anything to do with them for certain. You should stay away from him."

"But these are just rumours, right?"

"The first one isn't," Lakah said. "I never told you why I left the Archetypes and joined up with Byak did I?"

"Not that I can recall," Cyhen replied.

"I was trained from a child, as all Archetypes are. My father was one before me and he worked on the case of Korta Sarc's death. He suspected Kopek had killed him all along and came close to uncovering the truth, but he himself was killed before he could reveal the truth and all evidence he had was destroyed with him. That was why I left. I couldn't work with an organisation that murdered it's own people and then kept the murderer from getting what he deserved," Lakah gave Cyhen an intense gaze. "Stay away from him, Cyhen."

Cyhen became a little angry. Why would her friend deny her happiness? "Lark, do you know what it's been like since I lost Byak?"

"Lupa, I know you don't want to be on your own, but if you wait -"

"I'm sick of waiting, Lark. You have Kannec, so you have no idea what it is like for me."

"Well, if I can't persuade you to ditch this guy, promise me that you'll be careful. I don't want to see you hurt again, Lupa."

Cyhen saw that it was useless for them to fight over some guy and she might not even see Kopek again, anyway. "I promise, Lakah."

Lakah cracked an amused smile to relieve the tension. "Look at us, worried over some Archetype when we've kicked the asses of the Blood hawks!"

"Ironic, or what?" Cyhen took a long draught of her ale. "So, Lark, what's been going on with you? And what's Kannec been up too?"

"Oh, my dog's at one of those Swoop races, on Corellia this time. He won his last couple of races and we almost have enough to get out of racing and smuggling altogether. I've got a run to do to this planet called Alaris Prime."

"Hope that goes well. When do you go?"

"Oh, in a couple of days. I'm mostly carrying food and med supplies."

"Ah, no weapons, then?"

Lakah laughed, "After our last venture together, it would be best to keep a low profile, I think."

"Wise decision, Lakah."

* * *

Cyhen Hes made her way through the darkness of Terhan's night after leaving the _Swooper's Inferno_. The narrow alley ways flanked on either side by tall buildings seemed more oppressive than usual. Perhaps it was the conversation she'd had with Lakah that had brought this on, or the fact that she'd been attacked the night before. Maybe it was just the quietness caused by few people being around. Whatever it was, Cyhen was feeling more jumpy than normal.

A clatter behind her made her jump. She turned round and saw a pair of glowing eyes in the gloom. Just a vulpae, she thought. Vulpaes were small fox-like creatures the size of a cat. They had become increasingly common in urban areas, looking for food.

The streets became wider has she neared the Terhan Spaceport and her flat, giving an almost clear view of the night sky above. The more prominent stars were showing themselves but the lights of the city obscured the light from most stars. It was nothing compared to the view that could be seen from the mountains.

The sound of whirring servomotors and the sharp metallic scent of metal combined with the male pheromones announced Kopek's presence before she saw him as she came up to the building that housed her flat.

"What do you want?" Cyhen asked, her voice sounding more annoyed than she'd intended.

"I saved your life and spent the night in your place and now you tell me to bugger off?" Kopek asked, stepping out of the shadows into the glow of the street lamp.

He suddenly seemed a lot more dangerous than the night before. Perhaps Lakah was right about him...

"I didn't think you'd become my stalker," Cyhen retorted, her hand moving to her blaster holstered at her hip.

Kopek threw up his hands to show that he wasn't armed. "I just wanted to drop by to see if you're ok."

"Well, now you see that I am, so now you can leave," Cyhen said, trying to brush past him. Kopek blocked her with is flesh arm.

"What's brought all this on?" Kopek asked, fearing that like all other females, she was rejecting him.

"It's late, Kopek. I'm tired. Besides, I don't really want to see anyone right now."

"That's not the impression you gave me last night," Kopek tilted her chin up with his mechanical hand, moving his face slightly so that she saw more of his good eye than his prosthetic one. "In fact, you invited me..."

Cyhen thought for a moment or two. Brushing him off now wouldn't exactly be fair, now would it? Everything Lakah had told her had just been speculation, right?

"Tell you what. meet me at the _Drunken Ronto_ tomorrow night, about a hour after sunset?" Cyhen compromised.

"Sound's good. Bring a change of clothes with you."

Cyhen looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"

Kopek flashed her a smile. "Wait and see."

* * *

Azet entered Za's office. Za turned around from looking out of the window. "What is so interesting out there, Za?" Azet asked.

"Just memories...," he replied.

Azet nodded her understanding. She knew how memories could be your demons. "I received your message. What is it, Za?" She walked over to him, stopping only half a metre from him. She had the impulse to embrace him, but not here.

"My brother is up to something, Azet. He's been too mysterious recently. I want to know if he is moving against me. He has always been loyal, but in these troubled times you can't trust even your own blood - half blood, should I say."

"You want me to keep him under surveillance, Za?"

"Just trail him for tonight. See where he goes, who he meets with. Perhaps with your skills, we'll uncover what he's up too."

"We can't let him be a threat to us."

"Still, Azet, he has proved useful in the past. It would be unfortunate if you would have to eliminate him, but if the job needed to be done, then so be it."

* * *

Kopek's stomach gave a lurch and he checked the time on his chronometer again. It was half a hour after Cyhen was supposed to meet him and he was beginning to think that that he'd been shown up. I knew I should have said I'd meet her at her place...

He downed the the last of his Lomin ale and considered to go over to her place to see if anything was amiss when he saw her enter the cantina. She pushed herself through the throng to his table in the most remote corner that Kopek could find. He studied her, taking in her in the formal black dress that she wore. She flashed him a grin. "Took me ages to find this out. I've not worn it since that time Byak, the others and I made off with the takings from _Saphire's Casino_."

"Sounds quite a story, but you'd best keep it to yourself, I might have to haul you in for theft."

"Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. The casino was run by a crook anyway. We just relieved her of her illegitimate earnings. I gave some of my cut to charity."

"That's ok, then, I think. You do look good in it. Suppose I'd be missing something lovely if I did haul you in. I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show, Cyhen."

"Oh, just a crisis I had to sort out. A friend of mine was injured in an accident. He's okay, but it will take him a long time to recover - and a lot of credits. His lupa had been over."

"If you want to go home and be with your friend, then that's okay. We can always do this another time."

"She's on her way over to see him now. Besides, I wasn't exactly nice to you last night . A have a means to contact her on developments in my bag."

"Would you like a drink and then we can get out of here. There is that surprise I promised you."

"A drink would be good," Cyhen chose a fruity alcoholic cocktail - much more lady-like than the Corellian ale she always chose to drink when in the company of Lakah. As Kopek went over to the bar, a female Shistavanen entered wearing baggy trousers and a dark jacket - it was difficult to tell whether it was black, brown or dark blue in the darkness of the cantina.

While she waited for Kopek to return, Cyhen checked the credits in her purse. Kopek returned a few moments later with a Lomin ale and Cyhen's cocktail.

"How much was it?"

"I'm quite happy to pay for it."

"I always pay my own way, Kopek."

"If you insist. It was a couple of credits."

Cyhen handed him the two credit chips and glanced over at the female Shistavanen that had entered while Kopek was at the bar. She wasn't paying them any attention, but Cyhen was still a little suspicious.

"I said, is anything wrong?" Kopek asked.

Cyhen turned her attention back to Kopek. "Everything is fine..."

* * *

Azet fingered her comlink and brought it up to her mouth. She used the glass holding her drink to one side of her face and discreetly spoke into her comlink.

"Are you there, Za?"

Za answered promptly, "Yes?"

"Made contact with the target at the _Drunken Ronto_ cantina. Look's like he's entertaining a lupa. Golden fur, about one point seven metres in height. Seems to match description of a suspected rebel."

"A Reb suspect? Can you catch anything of what they're saying?"

"No. To noisy, but meeting doesn't seem to be dodgy. Seems like fraternisation. Wait a sec, they're finishing drinks and leaving. Would you like me to follow them?"

"Kopek with a lupa - intriguing. Situation needs monitoring to see if it's what it appears to be. I'd leave 'em to it, Azz, get out and come home."

"Will do. See you in a little while." Azet thumbed the comlink off and made to leave for the Senator's Palace, leaving her drink behind, untouched.

* * *

"You got a Surosub X-36? Nice," Cyhen said. A few blocks away from the _Drunken Ronto_, Kopek had parked his X-36 Surosub Landspeeder. He only ever used it for long trips into the mountains and forests that surrounded Terhan. The X-36 was an open top speeder, a newer model than the X-35 Landspeeder. It still retained the sporty appearance and had a metallic blue paint job. It only processed two seats, one for the driver and one for a passenger.

"I was thinking we'd go for a trip outta this depressing place. I have a small cabin at the base of the mountains. There's one advantage to being an Archetype is that it pays well."

Cyhen wasn't overly impressed by Kopek's show of extravagance when much of Uvena III and the other habitable planets of the system had been stripped of its wealth by the Imperial Occupation: in many ways, however, they were luckier that some other alien worlds that had become so heavily polluted and much of their wild places destroyed to render the planet almost uninhabitable. It was probably because the Empire had found other ways to exploit the Shistavanens, as enslaved ship engineers and scout to find Rebel Bases.

"I know what you're thinking, but most of the Archetypes don't want the Imperials around either," Kopek said, noting the look of her face and body language.

"But you just tolerate them anyway - "

"You think I like what I am? Being an Archetype made me into this you see before me now," he indicated his metal arm and false eye. "Besides, the Archetypes are only waiting for the Imperials to become weak, then they will be gone. If we fought against them now, there would just be another Uvenan Massacre."

He had a point, Cyhen had to admit. "Come on, let's go. We were supposed to be enjoying ourselves, remember?"

Kopek cracked a rare smile. "Damn right. You need help getting in?"

"I'm fine, Kopek," Cyhen said, swinging gracefully into the passenger's seat.

Kopek leaped into the driver's seat, some what more ungracefully than Cyhen, inserted the electronic security key, started up the engines and blasted off into the night.

* * *

The lights of Terhan twinkled like constellations behind them in the distance as the mountains loomed up before them. The front headlights of the land speeder illuminated the ground in front of them. Soon a dark shape against the darker background began to appear before them.

"That's my cabin up ahead," Kopek informed her.

As the shape got bigger, Cyhen began to appreciate its size: when he said small, she had been expecting a prefab shelter-sized place, not a medium sized bungalow. It had only one floor with a sloping roof and looked to be built out of local gritstone. It had a bay at the side to accommodate the Landspeeder.

Kopek slowed the vehicle down and brought it to a halt just outside the bay. He jumped out of the Landspeeder and walked around to the passenger side to help Cyhen out of the vehicle.

"Did you bring a change of clothes?" Kopek asked as they walked along the gritstone path to the door.

"Yes."

"Good. You can change in the 'fresher once we get inside," Kopek keyed in the security code that allowed them entry to the building and flashed a grin at her. "Promise I won't look."

Once inside, Cyhen was shocked to discover he had a droid, as most Shistavanens didn't use them, except for the Astromechs that were used in star fighters.

"The droid takes care of the place when I'm away. If I didn't have one, the place would easily get over run with vermin when I'm on business."

The cabin was a lot more homely than Cyhen's flat in Terhan, with wooden panelling on the floor, doors, cupboards, table and worktops. In the sitting room that was entered via the front door, was a dark green sofa, a computer system, fire place and a landscape holo of the mountain range outside. Other than that, there were no personal items in the room.

"The 'freshet's behind the first door on the right down that corridor," Kopek informed her. As Cyhen made her way down the corridor, she noticed a door to her left and one down at the far end of the corridor. She guessed that the one at the far end was a bedroom.

The walls of the corridor were adorned with yet more landscape pictures, one of which she recognised as the Alces Canyon. Kopek, it seemed, had a fondness of natural landscapes. Perhaps that was why he chose to have a home at the foot of the mountain.

Cyhen entered the 'fresher and put her bag down on the table and pulled the shoulder straps down of her dress, peeling it off until it was a dark pile of fabric at her feet that she stepped out of. She picked it up and draped it over the back of a chair before rummaging through her bag for the brown t-shirt and black trousers that she had put in there before she came out.

Once she had changed, Cyhen headed back to the sitting room. Kopek was stood waiting for her and had changed into camouflage trousers and shirt.

"Good. Are you ready then?" he asked her.

"Ready for what?" Cyhen asked, narrowing her blue eyes.

"Hunting, of course," Kopek replied.

"That's the surprise you talked about," Cyhen said.

* * *

It was a crisp night, Cyhen noticed, as they wondered along the trails in the nearby woodland. Through the gaps between the branches of the canopy above, the stars could clearly be seen, much sharper and more numerous than what could been seen in the capital. Shistavanens are naturally night time creatures, able to see much better in the dark than humans because of the Tapeum Lucidum, a reflective layer of cells at the back of their eyes. When light caught this layer, the eyes would glow an eerie green.

"When was the last time you hunted?" asked Kopek.

"I've not been out in the wilds for a long time and so haven't had the opportunity to hunt.," Cyhen replied. After the death of her uncle, she'd not been back to the wilderness that surrounded the capital of Terhan.

"I usually come out here alone. Sometimes you even forget about the Imperial Occupation. It's even better when you share it with someone."

Cyhen, who was in front, bent back the flexible stems of a large bush that overgrew onto the path. "Well, you have someone with you now," she said, waiting until Kopek had got hold of the stems before letting go.

After a while, Kopek said, "We'd better shut up and get on with hunting…"

Cyhen smiled, turned and gave him a friendly shove. "You're the one making all the noise."

"Me? You make more noise than a herd of elaphus."

"You've scared away all the elaphus, now there's no reason to hunt."

"In that case, we might as well go back inside…" he grinned at her recklessly. "…and amuse ourselves in other ways, but that would mean we'd have to forfeit supper."

"Come to think of it, I am hungry," Cyhen said, half serious, half teasing.

Kopek gave her a look of mock disappointment. He sniffed the air, hoping to pick up the welcome scent of prey. He gripped Cyhen's shoulder in his hand as an indication to keep still. His mechanical eye picked up infra red, and as a result allowed him to see the body heat of animals and people in the darkness. At the moment, however, it was only picking up Cyhen.

The breeze was almost still this deep in the forest, which had an advantage in that any rustling of the undergrowth could indicate the presence of an animal, but unfortunately, that caused a problem with the carriage of scent in the forest and was one of the primary senses of Shistavanens.

They were silent as they trudged further into the forest, Kopek's real eye picking up the lithe salute of Cyhen in the darkness. Up ahead, Kopek could hear the bubbling of a shallow but fast moving water course. He reached in front of him to grip Cyhen's arm and indicated that he wanted to lead for a while. The reason for this was that animals usually congregated around water to drink and in the darkness, he would detect the animal first with his mechanical eye. They continued carefully until the stream was in view. With it's head bent down to drink the water, stood a deer-like creature with its back to them. Kopek, indicated for Cyhen to stay where she was as he crept up on the unsuspecting creature. He went slowly, inching his way up as close as he could before he struck out with his mechanical arm at the creature's neck. It struggled and Cyhen rushed up to help him. She dodged a kick but Kopek tightened his vice-like grip on the animal's neck, snapping the vertebrae, the hunt successful.


	3. Chapter 3

**S****TARCHASER**

**C****HAPTER 3**

**S****IX**** M****ONTHS**** L****ATER...**

Cyhen had decided to meet the rebel Darkmoon in another cantina. She didn't entirely trust Kopek, even after he'd saved her life. He was part of the Imperial Regime that ruled the planet, even if, like most Shistavanens, he wished it wasn't there. There was the added advantage that Kopek was off planet on an errand that he hadn't told her about.

She was wearing the same cloak that hid her unusual fur colour from the crowd as she walked through the busy streets. It was a hot day without a cloud to mar the blue sky. Cyhen didn't like being too warm but resisted the urge to take off her cloak.

Imperial presence seemed to be everywhere and on a couple occasions her hand hovered on the butt of her blaster pistol when she passed a group of marching Stormtroopers patrolling the city. Finally, she found the entrance to the cantina in a dark alley that most beings avoided even during daylight. The door had no remarkable features and the only indication that the place was a cantina was the neon sign in the shape of a mynock. Cyhen bared her teeth, remembering the time with Byak when the _Starchaser_ had been infested with the pesky things. She turned the door handle and entered.

In contrast to the brightness outside, the cantina was dark and oppressive. However, it didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to the darkness inside.

There was gambling going on inside, illegal gambling which accounted in part for the darkness of the cantina. Now Cyhen understood why it had been so hard to locate. As she came up to the bar, she shrugged off the hand of a drunk that thought he could have a "good" time with her. She bared her teeth at him menacingly and flashing her blaster. He seemed to get the message, even though he jabbered in a language that Cyhen didn't understand and suddenly found his drink more interesting.

She went through the usual ritual of ordering a Lomin ale and looked around for Darkmoon. She located the male human in a booth next to the Jizz Wailer band whose high pitched music hurt Cyhen's sensitive ears. She wished they had met in the _Swooper's Inferno_ now, no matter how she hated putting up with Extreme Mynock Infestation at least their music hurt her ears less!

After getting her drink, she cut through the crowd, avoiding drunks and trying not to spill her drink. Finally, she sat down on the bench opposite him and drew back the hood of her cloak. No one seemed to pay them any attention, which Cyhen was grateful for.

Darkmoon muttered an obscure greeting which Cyhen uttered the appropriate answer to before lapping at her Lomin ale.

"Sorry I'm late. It took me a while to find this place," Cyhen said.

"It was necessary; you know how our operations have been botched too often recently. The Empire seems to be coming down more heavy handed than usual on our activities."

Cyhen nodded. Funny, how it had only just seemed to have occurred after her acquaintance with Kopek. Still, it's probably just co-incidence, she tried to convince herself. Part of her didn't want to believe that Kopek would have anything to do with something like that, but Lakah's warning still echoed in the back of her mind.

"What exactly does this job entail?" Cyhen asked.

"It's a shipment. I can't express to you just how important this shipment is to us," he leaned forward. "The success or failure of this shipment could mean the survival or death of our people."

After a few moments, she said, "What exactly is this shipment you want me to take?"

"Food, medical supplies, weapons, a couple of other vital things. I can't give you the exact details."

Cyhen gave him a snarl. "I've stuck my neck out for you people. If there's anything in the shipment that might get me into trouble, I need to know about it."

"Wha, I've always been straight with you, Golden. There's nothing sensitive in the shipment, however, the pay is double more than it usually is."

Cyhen's ears pricked up. "Nothing illegal?" she asked with a soft yip. As much as she liked the prospect of more money, she was suspicious about it and wanted to see if she could trip him up.

"No. Just make sure you aren't followed," he passed her a data disc. "The co-ordinates are on that disc and the landing code, so that you don't get shot down."

Cyhen secreted the data disc inside her pocket just as a squad of Stormtroopers burst through the door, doing a raid on illegal gambling. Cyhen grabbed an handful of Darkmoon's shirt and kissed him. The Stormtroopers, though probably disgusted at the sight of a human and a Shistavanen pashing, ignored them completely as they rounded up the illegal gamblers. Once they had gone, Cyhen released him and Darkmoon sat back breathlessly. Cyhen flattened her ears back in apology.

"I'm sorry. Couldn't think of any other way to distract them."

"That's okay. My people will bring the cargo round this afternoon."

"I'll see you then."

* * *

Cyhen's ship, the _Starchaser_, was reminiscent of the old Naboo starships common in the last days of the Old Republic. Elegant in design, it was just as deadly as it was beautiful. Unlike Naboo starships, however, it was metallic blue in colour instead of chrome. She had to wonder how Byak had gotten hold of the ship in the first place as she ascended the boarding ramp.

She made her way to the cockpit and draped her cloak over the empty co-pilot's seat. It was early evening by the time the rebels had finished loading the _Starchaser_. The sensitive stuff, the weapons, were placed in a scan proof compartment in the body of the ship just as a precaution. She used that when she occasionally smuggled ryll and glitterstem for the Hutts, an activity that she avoided unless she was very short of money and there were no rebel jobs.

She waved at the Mon Calamari technician who had been in charge of the loading crew. He indicated that they were finished and that she could go on her way.

She ran down the pre-flight check before lifting up into the atmosphere. She always loved the sight of the capital and its surrounding countryside from above. The contrast of the mountains with their forests, the city and beyond that rolling down to the sea were the great grasslands teeming with herds of a hundred different species of grass eating ungulates and their predators.

The sun was sinking lower in the sky, turning the sea to a bright orange-red colour. It always felt like home and even the Empire could not take that away.

Cyhen left the surface of the planet behind and after she left the atmosphere, the ship's comlink buzzed. Looking out the main viewport, she saw the ominous triangular shape of the Imperial Star Destroyer, _Dauntless_.

"Prepare to be boarded for cargo inspection. Failure to comply will result in your destruction," came the arrogant sounding voice of an Imperial deck officer.

Cyhen swore under her breath as she resigned herself for inspection. The _Starchaser_ was caught in a tractor beam and brought into the belly of the much larger Star Destroyer.

* * *

"As I have already told you, lieutenant -" Cyhen deliberately misread the Imperial's rank insignia. "- you will find no illegal substances on board my ship."

"That's Commander. I'll be the judge of that."

Cyhen scowled at him. "I have quotas to fill. I can't hang around here while you look over every bolt and circuit connection on my ship!"

"We have to stick to Imperial procedures," Commander Navunax looked at her condescendingly. "Don't give me an excuse to lock you in the brig for resistance to inspection."

As if you need an excuse to arrest me, Cyhen thought to herself as she watched him lead the inspection team up the boarding ramp. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the twenty Stormtroopers all pointing blaster rifles at her like she was seriously contemplating ripping them apart with her bare hands. And she would have too, if there weren't a hundred or more so waiting to blast the head off her shoulders if she tried something like that. She had to wait for what seemed like an eternity before the inspection team reappeared.

"There is nothing amiss this time," Commander Navunax said, seemingly disappointed that he hadn't found anything sinister. "Don't expect to be so lucky next time."

Cyhen snapped at his face as she walked past him to go up the boarding ramp. He flinched and Cyhen allowed herself a little chuckle. She paused at the top of the ramp and turned around.

"Thank you, Commander!" she put emphasis on the word Commander and gave him a mock salute before entering her ship.

Aliens! Oh how he despised aliens, especially cocky female ones like her. The Emperor should just give the order to wipe them all out.

As the boarding ramp closed behind her, Captain Jed Darkfyre and Commander Mellibai appeared to stand beside Commander Navunax.

"Did you plant tracers on that ship?"

"Yes sir. The traces have been planted, as you ordered."

* * *

On her way to the cockpit, Cyhen noticed something wasn't quite right. Near the floor in a crack beside the bulkhead just outside the cockpit, she spotted something flashing red. She bent her knees and looked at it closely as her forehead creased in a frown.

She bared her teeth as she recognised it for what it was. A tracer! She resisted the urge to pull the thing away and rose to her feet. It looked like this trip was going to take a little longer than she'd anticipated.

* * *

Lakah Vete was on her way home from the Mos Eisley Cantina. She was debating with herself whether or not it was time to move on before the Imps tracked her down. Kannec had recovered from his injuries and was on another of his money making schemes. Because of the blow to their funds paying for Kannec's treatment, (rather more expensive than it would have cost a human with the same injuries.), Lakah had taken a few scouting jobs for the Empire. On the last job, however, she'd fought on the side of the Wookiee Colony of Alaris Prime against Imperial slavers, since then she'd been on the run, unable to allow herself to relax for a moment.

Still, it had been worth being made a fugitive for. The grateful Wookiees had given her six months supply of Thikkian brandy which she still had most of the supply of because of its potency. Just a mug of the stuff sent her to la la land and helped her forget her problems for a short while. However, it had not been drink that Lakah had gone to the cantina for.

She was trying to make contact with the Rebels, so she could join them. This time she was lucky enough to get contact information for one cell on a planet in the Outer Rim. She felt a little sleepy as she rounded the corner of the alley that led to her home.

She caught a strange scent on the air, a male Shistavanen, but there was also the tangy odour of metal. Something was not quite right here.

Her hand drifted to the familiar and reassuring weight at her hip which she drew before entering the apartment. She did a quick sweep of the entire place, expecting at any moment to get jumped by something, but there was nothing or no one there. She was completely alone.

Lakah laughed at herself for being so paranoid. She left the blaster on her bedside table and went to close her front door. On her way back to the bedroom, she went to the kitchen to fetch a bottle of the Wookiee brew and a tumbler. She undressed and poured herself half a glass of the drink. It helped her to sleep when she felt troubled, as she did now and when Kannec wasn't around. But too much didn't agree with her and irritated her stomach. Sometimes, it even made her throw up.

She drank the brandy and within a few moments, she was asleep.

* * *

Lakah suddenly woke, her mind feeling hazy as she tried to remember where she was. Mos Eisley. She sniffed the air and strained her ears to pick up what had awakened her. The strange whirring of something mechanical reached her ears, as did the scrabbling of claws on stone. Fear gripped her for a moment and she reached for the vibroblade she kept under her pillow. There was only one way out of this place and that was through the door behind which the hunter was.

She cursed herself for being so stupid. She should have trusted her instincts, even if they had seemed a little paranoid. Now it was too late to do anything but wait and prepare to fight.

Kopek smashed his way into the room and Lakah hauled the tumbler at him which missed and shattered against the wall. Before she could get to it, Kopek picked up her blaster and she stabbed at him desperately with her vibroblade that clanged uselessly against the metal of his prosthetic arm. His artificial hand clamped about her wrist and he squeezed so she would drop the vibroblade.

She howled in pain as the delicate bones in her wrist shattered under the pressure. He placed the barrel of the blaster against her head and pressed his face close to hers. Saliva dripped from his teeth as he spoke. "One more attempt at resistance and you will be dead!" he snarled.

Lakah snarled back, but the seriousness in his eye and the position of his ears told her that he would carry out the threat if she didn't comply. She considered smashing the bottle of brandy over his head to knock him out, but he would be dead before she completed the action.

She lowered her ears in submission. "Good," Kopek said.

* * *

Nidet made her way down the clean corridors of the Imperial Star Destroyer, _Dauntless_. She was heading for the detention block that was holding her childhood friend, Lakah Vete. She had not seen Lakah in years. The last time she had seen Lakah had just been after Lakah had helped some Rebels escape imprisonment. They'd had a heated argument over the incident. At the time, Nidet had been a strong supporter of the Imperial Occupation but after seeing atrocity after atrocity inflicted on her people, she had begun to change her mind.

Nidet was a little nervous about seeing her. What if Lakah rejected her? Nidet still counted her among her friends, even though they were seemingly on different sides. But to Lakah, Nidet was an enemy, as much a part of Palpatine's evil oppression as the Emperor was himself.

The detention block officers eyed her suspiciously as she entered the detention block command centre. "I have clearance to be here, from Governor Riyadah himself," Nidet showed them the clearance document and the commanding officer snatched it from her hands and took a long time pouring over it, checking for any slight inconsistency in the document that would allow him to deny her access.

"This all checks out," he said and gestured to one of his underlings. "Accompany the good Archetype to cell IX59."

The underling saluted, "Right away, Sir."

Even though the officer seemed to be showing her the respect she deserved, part of her couldn't help but think he would much rather blast her head off than speak civilly to her. Nidet didn't mind, she felt exactly the same way about him.

The guard led her down to the end of the cell block before stopping at the last door and stood at attention. Nidet drew back the viewing panel and peered inside. The sight that met her shocked her. Lakah was unable to open her left eye as the skin around it was puffed up and caked in blood. There was mattered blood around her mouth and when she bared her teeth to snarl at her, Nidet saw that she had lost several teeth and that was where the blood was coming from around her mouth.

Lakah was dressed in a prison uniform, a brown one piece flight suit type garment and was clutching her untreated shattered wrist. It had blood stains where wounds on her body had bled. Nidet ordered the guard to open the door and Nidet stepped inside the featureless cell.

Lakah greeted her friend with a low, pain filled growl.

"Surely they haven't started interrogating you already?"

"This was not inflicted by your Imperial Masters, but by the one who captured me. Thought he'd have some fun," Lakah replied. "Come to gloat, have you?"

"No - I," Nidet searched for the right words to say. "Whatever disagreement we had in the past, I still remain your friend, Lakah."

"Save the lies for someone who would believe you!"

"I want to help you, Lakah."

"I want nothing from you. Not your pity, not your help, not your friendship!"

In spite of her pain, Lakah suddenly leapt up from her sleeping bench and launched herself at Nidet, digging her sharp claws into her face and raking her good hand down her face. She pushed Nidet to the floor and tore at her with her sharp teeth. The guard stunned Lakah with his blaster and she slumped unconscious. Nidet rolled her former friend's body off her and got to her feet, dark red blood staining her Archetype's uniform.

* * *

Nidet washed off the blood from the scratches to her face and the savage bite to her shoulder. She stared for a moment at the pool of diluted blood and wondered, just for a moment, just how things had gotten this bad between her and Lakah. She winced at the pain in her shoulder as she patted the wound with a sponge but it was nothing compared to the pain caused by the rejection from her childhood friend.

The wound and scratches would heal but the emotional scar was permanent and would remain with her always. She sighed but she wouldn't allow herself to waste energy on hate. Hate only made things worse. She sniffed, taking one last look at herself in the holographic mirror before putting on a robe and heading out of the refresher to get a glass of her favourite wine, a beverage only found in the Uvena System. She thought about the many times she and Lakah had gotten drunk together and it made her smile, if only for a moment. She lifted the glass to her lips to lap it with her tongue.

As she entered the lounge, the door buzzed and she set down the glass on the coffee table before answering it. Rivik was at the door when she opened it and she felt a mixture of happiness and self-consciousness when she realised that she wore nothing underneath her robe, which she'd forgotten to tie closed with her belt, but it wasn't her body that caught Rivik's attention.

"What happened?" he asked, bringing up his hand to touch the four deep parallel scratches.

"I went to see Lakah. She became angry and attacked me."

He rested his paw heavily on her shoulder. "I knew you'd be upset, so I came as soon as I'd heard of her capture." He looked past her and spotted the glass of wine. "Mind if I come in?"

"No, come in," Nidet moved aside and he walked past her to sit on the couch. Nidet closed the door and sat opposite him. Rivik switched off his comlink so that Laej wouldn't be able to bother him. He decided to be honest with her.

"Once they've gotten all the information they can out of her, she'll be killed."

Nidet snuffled loudly and tried to keep the tears from forming at the corners of her eyes. She knew since the last meeting that would be the result, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that her friend would die. "There has to be a way to save her -"

She rose from her seat and looked away so that he wouldn't see the tears that began to roll down her muzzle. She felt Rivik's arms encircle her as he crushed her to him.

"There is nothing either of us can do without revealing ourselves and being put to death with her. We must live, to carry on her fight," he said, his voice getting quieter until it was nothing more than a whisper in her ear. "But you won't go through this alone. I'm here, if you need me."

"I need you, Rivik," she turned in his arms and kissed him. Rivik responded just as strongly and Nidet forgot all about the glass of wine.

* * *

The _Starchaser_ came out of hyperspace in the Alderaan system. The blue and green planet looked peaceful as it hung in the blackness of space. She opened a channel to request permission to land her ship. She gained it and brought her ship down to land in the spaceport of Aldra City, the capital city that rose up on an artificial platform within a shallow sea. Alderaan was not her true destination. She had landed there so she could remove the tracers from her ship.

She hoped that the spaceport authorities wouldn't do a through check on her cargo as she was carrying weapons and any type of weapon was illegal on Alderaan, even if she was supplying the Rebellion that the planet supported! While she had been in hyperspace, she had hidden her blaster and other weapons she carried in a scan proof locker that gave out false readings when scanned.

The planet was one of the most beautiful places she had ever been, untouched almost, by artificial construction. She wondered, however, if the planet had been home to any species other than human if the planet would have retained much of its natural beauty. The Empire was notorious for exploiting and polluting worlds that belonged to non-human species.

She lowered the ramp as the search team approached the ship and she met them in the cargo hold.

"Are you the captain of this vessel?"

"Captain, owner and pilot," Cyhen replied. Even though his demeanour was totally different to that of the commander on the _Dauntless_, she wanted to deal with them quickly as she was getting fed up of inspection teams.

"What is your business here?"

"I'm just stopping to refuel. Will this take long? I have perishable food items in those creates. If I don't get them to their destination on time, my client will lose money and I won't get paid."

"We're just doing our jobs, Captain. We'll try to inconvenience you as little as possible."

"Be sure that you do," Cyhen flashed him an intimidating smile.

"What is in the creates?"

"Food items, medical supplies. I have the inventory here," she passed him a data pad with the inventory displaying the food and medical items. "You will see that everything checks out."

Cyhen decided that she had enough of spaceport officials and left while they did their jobs to take a walk around the city close to the spaceport.

* * *

Azet stared unseeing at the scarlet blade activated in front of her. Her mind was else where, on a battlefield from another time, another place and what seemed like a life time ago. She was eleven years old at the time.

_Geonosis, the Arena. She'd not taken any part in the fighting but her Master had been called there urgently to help in the rescue of Obi - Wan Kenobi and to destroy the army of the Confederacy, not realising at that very moment they were turning the course of history forever, fighting for the man that was secretly betraying them, but for Azet that wasn't the most significant thing that occurred that day. _

She'd witnessed the death of a friend, the young Bothan male Kish, Padawan to the Shistavanen Jedi Master, Raqak. Raqak's son, Shirak, had tried desperately to save the young Bothan, but he was dead before Shirak could do anything. Azet witnessed Shirak's pain and she felt it herself.

In the long moment that followed, Shirak was almost cut down himself, saved successfully by his Master, Naja. Naja paused to reprimand his student for lowering his guard for a brief moment, before turning back into the fight.

_Raqak, a wall of fur and barely contained fury, didn't allow the death of his Padawan to distract him for a moment. Mourning would come later. _

Safae Boda, Azet's Master, fought like the nexu.

But the small Jedi army were soon out numbered and began to fall back towards the centre of the arena. Azet moved with them, so she wouldn't get cut off from her Master and the other Jedi. Just when they thought everything was lost, Yoda and the fleet of Republican Gunships descended to rescue them.

_Azet was in danger of being left behind. Shirak spotted her and ran towards her so she wouldn't get left behind. He grabbed hold of her arm. Laser blasts from Droidekas chased them all the way to the Gunship, Shirak blocking the blasts effortlessly with his green bladed Lightsabre. _

Raqak and Naja helped the two Padawans aboard, while Safae Boda issued orders to the Clone Troopers.

The three male Jedi slumped to the deck of the ship from emotional exhaustion. Shirak passed Kish's Lightsabre to his father that he had somehow retrieved during the battle. Little did Azet know that the loss of Kish was only the first of devastating losses brought on by the onset of the Clone Wars...

Azet's meditation was interrupted by the buzz of her comlink. She deactivated her crimson bladed Lightsabre and rose gracefully to her feet.

* * *

When Lakah came to, she found herself strapped upright by her wrists in an interrogation room. The straps binding her wrists were so tight that she couldn't feel her hands, though the pain of her shattered wrist almost made up for that. Her stomach felt like a herd of wild banthas were throwing a party in it. Ignoring the pain in her head, she looked up at the reinforced transparisteel glass above her which she guessed was a viewport but she couldn't see inside. There was a door at the top of a metal stairway that led into what could be best described as an observation lounge.

Lakah gasped in fear when Za and Kopek entered, carrying various instruments of torture designed to intimidate her. Za leaned forward and pressed his face close to hers before grinning at her wickedly. "You will tell us the location of the Rebel base we know that you are hiding from us," Za said.

Lakah grinned back at him in defiance despite her pain. " I know of no Rebel base - "

Za moved back and circled her as Kopek punched her until her nose bled.

"Don't lie to us, little Lupa. Kopek saw you talking with that Rebel contact, whom he has already dispatched, by the way, in that den of villains, Mos Eisley. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, but don't think that we are afraid to use force to get information out of you - " Za paused for a moment, considering his words as he scratched at his chin with his sharp claws. "No," he yipped. "Resist little Lupa. Make this more fun for us - "

As he spoke, Kopek flicked an energy lash at her that caught her across the torso. Lakah gritted her teeth against the pain and refused to cry out. Instead, she only snapped viciously at Kopek, who only struck out at her again for her trouble.

* * *

In the observation lounge, Azet licked her lips as Za back handed Lakah across the muzzle. Azet watched the defiant female in fascination and reached out to sense her with the Force. There was a lot of anger in her, mostly directed at the Archetype Nidet, who had not even shown up to witness the interrogation of her former friend. Rivik had been uncontactable as well. None of this was in fact necessary as Azet could just rip the information from her mind anytime she wanted, but Kopek and Za had to have their fun, didn't they?

"Surely an Interrogation Droid would be more efficient than this display of savagery!" the over weight Laej commented.

Azet glared at him like she was going to rip his head off and eat it. "Trust me, Za knows what he's doing."

Only too well, Azet added to herself. She remembered experiencing his brutality herself, that was until she learnt to fight back and he learnt not to mess with someone who was more powerful than he was in ways that he could never match physically.

She hated them, playing with the defenceless prisoner like a cat torturing its cornered prey before going in for the kill, accept that they wouldn't kill her, not until they got tired of her being their defenceless plaything and Azet went in to rip the information from her mind.

To Lakah's credit, she just faced up to the torture, refusing to let the pain show, refusing to let them know how much they were hurting her, even though in her mind she screamed and Azet was the only one who knew it. Part of her wanted it to stop it, but she loved it too.

It was a shame that she wasn't Force sensitive. She would have made a good Sith Apprentice.

Finally, the pain and blood loss were too much for Lakah and she passed out. Za and Kopek ascended the stairs and entered the observation room.

"Did you learn anything?" the Governor asked.

"Not yet, my lord. She is very stubborn but we must wait until she regains consciousness," Za replied.

* * *

In the end, Cyhen found three tracers in all and planted one on the hull of a commercial liner bound for Coruscant. Placing the tracer had been difficult as she'd had to dodge spaceport security and avoid the security guards of the liner. The rest she had destroyed. She just hoped that the people on the liner wouldn't get killed by some over zealous Imperial commander being trigger happy.

After she had watched the liner blast off into orbit, she returned to her ship and got clearance from space control to leave. A few minutes later she was heading up into orbit. Part of her was sad at having to leave the world behind. She had never felt more comfortable going through the streets of Aldra that circled the spaceport. She had not felt like that way in a long time, not since her childhood. Thinking about that time brought a twinge of emotional pain in her heart. She missed her uncle and had no memory of her real parents.

Cyhen forced herself to concentrate on the moment and punched the co-ordinates for Yavin and waited while the navi computer did the calculations for the jump into hyperspace, the verdant world of Alderaan hanging in space below her.

She eased the ship into position for the jump to lightspeed and checked the time left for the jump. Thirty seconds.

Just as she was about to pull the lever back to enter hyperspace, the _Starchaser_ detected the strangest craft she had ever seen. It was spherical in shape and was the size of a small moon. She checked the readout again just to make sure that she wasn't seeing things, before looking out the viewport.

As she stared in fascination, trying to work out what it was, her expression changed from one of curiosity to pure terror as a powerful laser beam was emitted from the northern hemisphere of the craft and obliterated the defenceless planet she had just vacated. She glanced at her holocam and sensor board, making sure she was getting enough information as possible. She stared at the asteroid belt that had once been Alderaan in shock.

Only the warning klaxon that sounded as her ship was being fired upon by TIE Fighters brought her out of her trance and she flipped the lever back.

After the stars elongated and formed the haze of hyperspace, Cyhen played back the recording on her monitor. She had encountered destruction before but never on such a large scale and never with such callous regard for life. It was such a display of destructive power that it would be something that she would carry with her for the rest of her life, no matter how much she wished she could forget it.

* * *

"Hold her, Za," Azet instructed. Za used his body strength to hold the beaten Lakah on her feet. She was unable to do so on her own power and she felt limp and weak in his arms. She was conscious enough to comprehend that something was going on, but she was unable to struggle or work out just quite what it was.

Kopek looked on in the background, starting to feel a little guilty about what was happening to Cyhen's friend. He had been secretly looking into Cyhen's contacts with the Rebels so that he could track them down and remove the threat at least from Mizet's former supporters from regaining power once the Imperial Occupation began to crumble. Still, he had never realised that it would get so...personal. What would happen if Za ever wanted him to eliminate Cyhen herself? Could he do it? Kopek just hoped that situation would never arise so he could find out.

After the last interrogation, Lakah had been taken to one of the underground dungeons below the palace. They were damp and cold, water droplets dripped from the ceiling and formed puddles on the floor. The only light was cast by fire torch light which had been unchanged for thousands of years. The cell doors were made of huge iron bars about as thick as Azet's wrists.

Lakah recovered enough of her senses to snarl at Azet. In retaliation, Azet sent a controlled burst of Force lightening through her as a warning which glowed whitish blue in the darkness. Azet's sun yellow eyes burned into Lakah's mind and she gave up all resistance.

Azet placed her hands on either side of Lakah's head, digging her sharp claws in deep enough to draw blood that formed little rivers that dripped to the floor at her feet. Lakah felt like her skull was being crushed like an egg but that pain was nothing compared to what was to come.

Azet probed Lakah's mind with the Force, forcing her way inside and tearing and ripping it apart as she searched for the information she wanted. She skimmed through the memories Lakah had of her friend Nidet and her ill feelings towards her childhood friend began to evaporate, dissolve. Azet probed deeper, harder, tearing into Lakah's mind with the ease of a pack of battle dogs tearing apart their prey. This time the pain was just too intense as Lakah screamed in pain as her mind was torn to shreds.

Za looked at Azet, whose eyes were closed in concentration but the sickening smile on the Dark Jedi's face sent a shiver down his spine. He had never seen her like this before, taking such perverse joy in causing pain to another, but then he shouldn't be surprised, really. She was his mate.

Azet fed on Lakah's pain, anger and fear. It made her strong and powerful. It made Azet feel good that for once someone else was feeling pain instead of her. It didn't even matter that they shared the same enemy in Palpatine and the Empire. All that mattered was that someone else was hurting more than she did.

For Azet, it was not long enough. For Lakah, it took what seemed like an eternity. Azet's eyes flicked open and she took her hands away from Lakah's skull.

"Did you learn anything?" Za asked.

"Yes. The Rebels are on the planet Rogja."

Za let go of Lakah, who slumped to the floor, seemingly unable to stand upright, clutching her head in pain and confusion. They left the Rebel there, destroyed more thoroughly than any Imperial interrogation could achieve, but alive in a nightmare that was worse than death.

* * *

Cyhen Hes breathed a sigh as the _Starchaser_ re-emerged from hyperspace in the Yavin System. She glanced at the navigation screen to see where the moon Yavin 4 was located. Yavin hung in the blackness of space like a second sun.

She was glad that she would be soon dropping off the cargo for the Rebels, but the scene of Alderaan being obliterated forever played over and over again in her mind. It was the most terrible thing she had ever witnessed, all that loss of life and to think that if she had delayed leaving the planet a moment longer that she herself would have been one of the victims. It was unthinkable.

She got the ID code ready for transmission the Rebel Base below. The comlink buzzed and a voice came over the com.

"This is flight officer, Wedge Antilles to unidentified starship, please respond - "

"I'm bringing you your X-Wing parts, flight officer Antilles," Cyhen said, transmitting the code. "Could you put me through to the Commander of the base? I have urgent news."

A few moments later, another voice came over the com. "I am General Jan Dodonna. What's your urgent news?"

"General, on my way here, I stopped off at the planet Alderaan. As I was leaving, - well, let's just say that Alderaan no longer exists."

"By the Force, Bail Organa, Princess Leia - "

"I'm sorry, General. The battle station just came out of no where. The only thing that's left of Alderaan is an asteroid belt."

* * *

Azet spent the rest of the night in meditation, recalling the time she had set foot on the planet Rogja. After a year of travelling the spaceways, losing herself in the various spaceports of a hundred different worlds, she had finally ended up on the backwater world of Rogja, a planet not far from the Uvena System. As a result, it had been one of the first worlds outside the Uvena System to be colonised by Shistavanen explorers.

_Many of the denizens of the spaceport her transport ship had landed in were Shistavanens. Perhaps she could hide among them from Palpatine's Jedi Hunters. Every planet she had been to they had been there, pursuing her. Clones of her old comrades. She no longer carried a Lightsabre, deeming it to be too dangerous to do so. They were too easily recognised even by the most stupid of thugs and all would try something, just to get money or brag in the cantinas that they had taken out a Jedi! Discarding her Lightsabre made her vulnerable to attack and she could never use the Force openly as that would reveal her to be a Jedi and then the relentless pursuit of Bounty Hunters and Jedi Hunters would start all over again. Hopefully, this time if she didn't reveal her powers and blended in with the general population. Then she could perhaps live a normal life._

_No one trusted the Jedi anymore, not even the people they were supposed to protect. There might be one or two still sympathetic to the Jedi, who still remembered them as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, but most were only too happy to betray them, sometimes out of hate or greed, but the one that hurt most was fear. Almost everyone seemed to fear them and not only those who had a reason to fear them, but ordinary people. _

Sometimes it was through ignorance about what abilities a Jedi had, such as reading their private thoughts instead of sensing the person's feelings, not their thoughts. Even when a Jedi communicated to another Jedi through the Force, it wasn't telepathy, it was just feelings that were more controlled.

_What compounded the fear people felt towards the Jedi was through Palpatine's propaganda and this seemed to be everywhere. Palpatine took people's real concerns about the Jedi and blew them all out of proportion so that it would turn to hatred, so that people would only be too happy to eliminate his main opposition to power. _

Whatever the reason, Azet needed to defend herself from attack and this sometimes meant she had to give into the very anger that her dead Jedi Master had warned her against.

She was fearful of rejection, of getting close to people incase they found out about her powers. So she pushed them away, living a lonely existence. What was hardest was that since her Master's death at the hands of Darth Vader, she had no one who understood her powers.

S_he didn't even realise that she was falling deeper and deeper into the darkside of the Force as time went on. Vindictiveness, lust for power, lashing out in anger are the obvious paths to the darkside, but loneliness, fear, pushing people away, self loathing and self doubt are all harder to recognise and are probably more damaging because you don't even realise it's there until its too late. _

Azet was on the planet for about a month before more of Palpatine's Jedi Hunters caught up with her. She was in a bar, drinking away her troubles when a squad of six showed up. That was how she had met Za and Kopek. The two Archetypes were pursuing a criminal and decided to give her an helping hand. The fight was brief and bloody and ended in the death of all the Hunters and the wounding of Za. Azet, grateful for his help, used the Force to heal him until he could get proper medical treatment and everything else was history.

* * *

"How's your shoulder?" Rivik whispered in Nidet's ear. He stroked her good arm, passing his hand down it until he came to her hand, which he gripped in his own. After making love, they had fallen asleep and it was now early morning.

"Still hurts, but it will heal," Nidet replied as he kissed the finger tips of her hand. He had made her forget about Lakah for a while but it all came rushing back to her now. There had to be a way of helping her. Rivik leaned forward over her protectively and licked the dried blood off her face from the scratches. The minor wounds were still sore, but she still enjoyed the sensation.

Nidet reluctantly swung her legs around and sat on the edge of her bed. However much she wanted to spend the day in bed with him, she knew that couldn't be. She had work to do and she needed to see Lakah again. She felt a little nip on the back of her neck that sent a shiver of excitement down her spine.

"Do you want me to accompany you this time?" Rivik guessed what was on her mind.

"Yes, I don't want to see her alone."

Rivik checked the dressing on her shoulder and applied a new bacta treatment. It was healing quite well but the emotional wound was still open and there was nothing he could do about that.

As her shoulder was still sore and tender, Nidet chose to wear a tight sleeveless nerf hide body suit that wouldn't interfere with the dressing or make it worse by rubbing against it. Rivik had to make do with what he had worn the night before.

Nidet made an enquiry about Lakah and found she had been taken to the cells beneath the palace.

For the most part, the palace was deserted accept for Imperial guards and the odd Archetype apprentice carrying out guard duty. Lakah was now being held in the catacombs underneath the ancient palace, inside one of the dark, damp cells. No one questioned them as they were a familiar sight about the palace.

The guard who over saw the prisoners accompanied them to Lakah's cell.

The closer they came to the cell, the more anxious Nidet became. She was nervous about what Lakah would say to her when they met and she worried about the state they would find her in. If she had gone through interrogation...

They found the cell and waited for the guard to unlock the heavy steal door.

"Lakah!" Nidet said when she first saw her. She looked worse than she had previously and when Nidet crossed the cell to kneel down beside her and take her hand in hers, Lakah didn't recognise her. Nidet turned to look up at Rivik. "What have they done to her?"

Rivik dismissed the guard, who objected until Rivik growled low in his throat and gestured towards his broadsword. The guard scampered away.

Rivik sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose before setting his face in a hard expression. The air was strong with the smell of blood and death.

"She's dying, Nidet. There's only one thing we can do," he drew his vibroblade.

Nidet bared her teeth at him. "You can't. I won't let you!" she snarled at him like a mother willing to die to protect her young. Lakah had been hurt too much already.

"Nidet, please. The best thing we can do for her is to stop her suffering. Even if we did put her in a bacta tank, it is likely that she would die. If she lived, there's not enough left of your friend to save."

Lakah didn't even react to the debate over her death. Nidet glanced at Lakah, then at Rivik before settling her gaze finally on the cruel edge of the vibroblade.

"Besides, it will save her the humiliation of a public execution," Rivik added. He knew all about those. A few years ago, his brother had been falsely accused of being a rebel and the Governor had ordered him killed.

"Just give me a moment, ok?"

Rivik nodded and Nidet looked deep into Lakah's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lakah. I don't even know if you can understand me. The last time we saw each other, you hurt me in more ways than you can imagine. I don't want my last memory of you to be like that. I will miss you, my friend, my pack-sister!" she kissed Lakah on the forehead and just for a moment, her pain filled eyes cleared and a flicker of recognition lit up her eyes and then it was gone again.

Nidet rose and left the cell. Behind her, Rivik lifted Lakah to her feet and held her, he didn't hesitate for one moment. To do so would make him lose his nerves. "Forgive me, Nidet," he whispered before plunging the blade into Lakah's heart. Lakah choked for a moment before slumping limp in his arms. Blood trickled out of the wound as he retrieved his blade, forming a pool of blood at his feet.

He cleaned his blade and left the cell, into the waiting arms of Nidet.


	4. Chapter 4

STARCHASER

CHAPTER 4

Cyhen was sat quietly in a bar in one of the asteroids of Smuggler's Run, nursing her drink in her paws. She'd made the delivery about two or three days ago and news was circulating about a space battle in the Yavin System between the Rebels and the Empire a few hours after she'd left. The Rebels had won, by all accounts and in her heart she was glad. She wondered if it had anything to do with that weapon that had destroyed Alderaan. She hoped so. That image kept running through her mind and she'd not slept well since it happened and that was one of the reasons why she had gone to the Smuggler's Run.

Her plan was to get so blindingly drunk that she would forget all about it, for a couple of hours at least. She'd made copies of her data and given one to the Rebels on Yavin 4 and the others she had sold to the biggest blabber mouths on the Run, so she had plenty of money to well, throw away. She'd bought a couple of death sticks if things really got bad, but she wasn't into the things normally.

She'd been at the bar for a couple of hours now and the third fight of the afternoon was breaking out over at the Sabbacc table. She yawned in boredom before downing a large portion of her drink. Bars were so predictable, Cyhen mused to herself, thinking about what drink she should go for next. Maybe when she got back to Uvena III, she'd think about hooking up with Lakah again. She'd not seen her for ages.

"A lovely vision of predatory beauty!" a voice said behind her and a Cathor male almost tripped up over thin air because he was so drunk. He sat down heavily in the chair opposite her.

"You're drunk," Cyhen said to the Cathor male. "But so am I! Great, isn't it?"

Normally Cyhen would tell a male that wasn't of her own species to get crushed inside a trash compactor, but the drink was making her feel a little playful. She cocked her head to one side, studying him and even with her mind in a fuzzy state, she recognised that he was faking it. Cyhen, deciding to play along, leaned forward in her seat, unbuttoning the top three buttons of her top as a distraction while under the table she slowly unholstered her blaster. She stroked his leg with her bare foot, all the time raising her weapon above the table. Once it was there, she aimed it at the Cathor's chest and fired while simultaneously saying the words, "Fry, perv."

Burnt flesh caused her to wrinkle her nose as he flopped forward lifelessly on to the table. Other patrons turned to stare at her and with one quick growl and flash of her teeth, they found something else to occupy their attention.

"Darn bounty hunters!" she growled as she rose from her seat, deciding now would be a good time to leave. The room seemed to swirl and spin and she felt a hand clamp on her shoulder. Her blaster still in hand, she shoved the business end into his throat before realising it was Kopek.

Her mood brightened immediately and she lowered the pistol. As she did so, the death sticks fell out of her coat and Kopek caught them in his prosthetic hand.

"Drugs, Cyhen?" he asked, crushing them in his mechanical fingers.

"I don't need them know that you're here," she said, clamping her muzzle on his. He responded gingerly at first, but then let himself go. The fuzziness of the alcohol lifted from her mind as they kissed, the room spinning for a different reason.

* * *

Kopek rolling over in his sleep caused Cyhen to look over her shoulder at him from the portable computer. They had gone back to the _Starchaser_, in part because Kopek had not cleaned up Lakah's blood from the decking and because he didn't want Cyhen to see it. She was about to compose a message to Lakah when she found a new message from Darkmoon. She opened it up and read the text on the screen.

Meet me when you touch down on Uvena III.  
I've got some bad news for you that I can't tell you in this message.

Darkmoon.

Cyhen's forehead increased in a frown and she glanced over at Kopek, who was still asleep. She began to compose a message back.

Got your message. Meet me at Zane's place.  
I've got something that you will find interesting.

Golden

She sent the message and closed the software down as she heard Kopek stir. She could send Lakah a message about meeting up with her later.

"What'ch'ya doing?" he asked, a little sleepy.

"Just looking at my inventory," Cyhen replied. "I have to go soon."

Kopek's ears flattened in disappointment. "You don't have to go right now, do you?"

"Not right at this minute," she said as she padded back over to the bed, her robes slipping off her shoulders as she went. Kopek was wide awake in an instant.

"Good," Kopek caught her arm and pulled her gently towards him.

She smiled seductively at him and kissed him. "You didn't think I'd leave without giving you a proper goodbye, did you?" she yipped excitedly.

* * *

Cyhen spied Darkmoon and once she had gotten a drink, she headed over to his table.

"You know, Darkmoon, we'd better stop meeting like this. People are gonna talk. My dog might get jealous -" she joked as she took a seat opposite him. The sombre look on Darkmoon's face stopped her in her tracks.

"What's up, Darkmoon?" she asked.

"The supplies, did you deliver them?" Darkmoon asked.

"Yep. I also got something else you might be interested in," she slipped her paw inside her pocket and drew out the data disc. "I picked it up on my way to the drop off."

Darkmoon reached over and took the data disc from her and pocketed it quickly. In return, he handed her a data pad.

"Payment's gone through to your account. You can check it if you want."

Cyhen did so, saw that the agreed amount had been paid in and handed it back.

"There's something else you wanted to see me about -"

"I don't know if you've heard, but the Empire has issued this statement. It's about a friend of yours, Lakah Vete. While you were making the delivery, she was arrested -"

Cyhen felt her stomach harden and a numb feeling spread through her entire body.

Darkmoon lowered his gaze and fixed his eyes on his drink, unwilling to look at Cyhen as he said the words - "I'm sorry, but she's gone. The Empire has taken her out."

Cyhen looked at him in shock. "Lakah's gone," she repeated.

She had not felt this way since losing Byak. She found it very difficult to believe that she would never hear the words, "Hey Lupa," again.

* * *

The last time Azet had set foot on Rogja, she had been a frightened young wolfwoman evading deadly hunters. This time she was a confidant Dark Jedi with a mission to infiltrate the rebel base, gather as much information on security and weapons as she could and making it easier for the strike force to subdue the base from the inside.

She was disguised as the rogue scout, Lakah and she'd dyed her fur to the dark brown that had been her fur colour and was dressed in clothes similar to what the scout was wearing when Kopek had brought her in. All she had to arm herself with were a couple of blasters, a vibroblade, her wits and of course, the Force. By getting all the information directly from Lakah's mind, Azet knew everything about her. Her personality, her past acquaintances.

The only thing that could give her cover away was the the fact that Lakah had a lover called Kannec. She had sent an assassin to deal with him. She would have preferred Kopek, but the fool was no where to be found, so she had to use a Bounty Hunter, one she'd have to kill after he finished the job so that the deaths wouldn't be traced to her.

She was going to enjoy this, she thought, a real test of her abilities. Fooling Imperials was easy. They were so stuck up and arrogant that all you had to do is make them think they own you and then they don't question your motives until it's too late for them to do anything. That was what Azet both liked and disliked about Imperials. They were so easy to manipulate, so confident in their self illusion that they were all powerful and that nothing could topple them that they don't even realise when they had a Jedi right under their nose.

The area around the spaceport had changed since the last time she had set foot there. Old businesses had gone and new ones sprung up in their place, but still offering the same things. The mix of species was still the same and this time Azet was not the scared young "girl" running from relentless pursuers but a confident, if unhappy adult. She knew that she was powerful and that she could vanquish anyone who tried attacking her.

Coincidentally, the cantina where Lakah was supposed to meet her contact was the same one where she had met Za and Kopek all those years before. On entering, she looked about warily before spotting her contact, a Cathor male sitting alone in a booth. She passed a male Gotal on her way to the booth and he sent her warning instincts crazy. She knew he was supposed to be the Cathor's back up muscle.

Glancing around carefully for any other back up, she noticed a female Cathor sitting at the bar talking to one of the bartenders, a human male. Azet snorted to herself. She didn't see the attraction in interspecies relationships, her own with Za was complicated enough.

"Lakah Vete, I take it?" the Cathor asked.

It took Azet a moment to remember that she was Lakah Vete.

"That's me," she sat down on the bench opposite him, using her Jedi abilities to control the feelings that she was sending out, so that the Gotal wouldn't uncover her as a feud.

"I am Ryther."

* * *

Ryqik and Nakita made their way down the street towards the market area. They were hungry, not having eaten in days and too weary to risk stealing unless they were really desperate, like now. They'd had to learn quickly over the last six months how to survive on the streets. Without a fast learning rate, they would be easily dead. They knew which places to definitely avoid, which places were still risky and the hideaways no one else had found to claim. They were too intelligent to be considered animals, but so low socially they hovered on the fringes of society, occupying a place inferior even to the street gangs, a sub sentient, to be tormented for fun by those with the power to do so and only because of their situation.

Without each other they would have given up long ago.

Ryqik started as shouts of Jedi scum were suddenly directed at him and Nakita as they walked down the busy street. Sniffing the air, he recognised the scent of the gang members that had attacked them before. Nakita let out a soft whimper of fear as he grabbed hold of her hand and began to run. Nakita, hungry and thin, soon grew tired and she panted and stumbled as they tried to get away from the pursuing thugs who continued to make such a ruckus that other denizens of Nar Shaddaa joined in with the general mob chasing the two young Shistavanens.

In the shadows, Ziqi the Bothan watched them fly by, shrugged his shoulders in gesture that he had seen humans do many times. Well, he had tried to warn them...Hell, I'm getting soft. He decided to follow, keeping to the walkway above ground level to stop himself from getting swept up in the mob.

Ryqik knew that they wouldn't last long this way and tried to lose them among the stalls selling fruit and other delicacies but there were so many that they couldn't get away as he weaved in and out and under the stalls. The mob turned over baskets of produce, much to the anger of the stall vendors. One of the stall vendors, anxious that his stall wouldn't get ruined, tried to make a grab for Nakita, who bit hard into his hand as it closed around her wrist. The vendor yanked her away from Ryqik and she fell backwards into the neighbouring stall. Ryqik had no time to look back for her as he dived under a stall to escape one of the thugs.

Nakita picked herself up and looked around. The vendor whose stall she had inadvertently trashed, had his attention on the mob still going after Ryqik. She took the opportunity to snatch a couple of paw fulls of fruit before using the confusion to slip away into a service duct of a nearby building. The duct was barely big enough for her and offered some protection because no one bigger than her could follow. She brought a fruit to her mouth to take a bite out of it. Primarily carnivores, Shistavanens weren't adverse to vegetable food when they had no other food available.

Outside, Ryqik heard the crack of a slug thrower being fired at him. The first shot missed and he saw an escape route, a small hole in the side of an abandoned building. He rushed towards it with gun fire popping behind him and just when he thought he was home free, his right leg suddenly gave out from under him and he felt a sharp pain bury deep into his right thigh. He gripped the edges of the durasteel and pulled himself with his arms inside the building. He forced himself to keep crawling, head pounding. The pain in his leg made him feel nauseous and he could feel the blood ooze out of the wound next to his skin. The pain was too much for him to bear and he passed out.

A dark trail of red blood led up to the hole in the building, but the hole was too small for the Rodian and human as they inspected their handiwork.

"Looks like you got him, Fy," the human male said.

Fy responded in Rodian, Should we go after him?

"He'll die, if he's not already dead."

* * *

The sound of scrabbling claws woke Nakita from her sleep. Blood was strong in the air, mixed with a scent as familiar to her as her own. She sighed with relief. She had been worried about Ryqik ever since they had been separated. A sixth sense told her something was wrong as she emerged from under the dirty rags used as blankets. She got to him just as Ryqik lost the use of his legs. He trembled feverously as he murmured the one word he could remember. "Nakita."

The scent of infection over powered her as he leaned against her and Nakita guided him over to the pile of rags. Ryqik leaned over to one side and vomited and coughed. No food was in the vomit as he had not eaten in days.

Nakita was suddenly reminded of her hunger when her stomach suddenly protested against its emptiness. The fruit she had stolen had not kept her hunger satisfied for long. Ryqik groaned in pain and flinched away from her as she touched the wound. She reached out with the Force, as her mother had taught her, a long buried memory resurfacing at a time of need.

She sensed the slug thrower bullet lodged in the muscle of Ryqik's thigh. He moaned in pain as Nakita shifted it slightly and wiggled it about to loosen it. She whimpered reassuringly at him, comforting him with his pain if she could not banish it completely. This tore the ligaments further and Ryqik let out a yelp as she finally worked it free and Nakita drew it out of the wound.

Dark red blood trickled from it. The bleeding wasn't heavy but it showed little time of stopping anytime soon. Exhaustion suddenly overcame Ryqik and he was asleep.

Nakita's stomach growled loudly again and this time the pain of hunger was so intense she could no longer ignore it. She was reluctant to leave Ryqik alone. What if something happened to him while she was gone? She had to find food if Ryqik was to survive. Her tongue flicked out and licked his forehead in a kiss of goodbye before she reluctantly stepped out into the dark, sinister Nar Shaddaa night.

* * *

Nakita, stealthy and wraith-like, approached the dumping area outside one of the casinos. Coming here was dangerous and she only ever ventured there when she was desperate, like now.

Most of the patrons flitting around the casino, impulsive gamblers, molls out for having a good time and getting paid for it, drug addicts and smugglers didn't even know she was there, but there was always the chance that some bored bounty hunter would take a pot shot at her and there were more sinister psychos lurking in the shadows. It was not uncommon to find a "non-being dead" - and it wasn't for something obvious like money. She sensed the malice now, pressing on her mind and she was ready to leave.

Nakita's eyes detected movement among the junk pile, her ears rotated as they picked up the high frequency squeaks of something else in the same area as she. A long, whiskered snout poked itself around the corner, twitching as it sniffed the air.

Without thinking about it, Nakita projected a sense of calm and security to the scavenging omnivore that was about the size of a small cat, with a long, elongated body that ended in a thick, ringed tail. The fur was a reddish brown colour and dark eyes glowed in the darkness.

Its long, sensitive nose routed through the garbage, sniffing the air for the smell of discarded food, blissfully unaware of its stalker. Nakita moved slowly on all fours, edging forward until she was close enough to strike. With one quick movement, she pounced, pinning the creature down with her arms. It squeaked and struggled before she could deliver a swift, deadly bite to the creature's throat. She savoured the taste of the blood, her heart singing with a predator's joy at the success of her kill. Nakita licked the blood that trickled down her mouth. She wanted to eat it then, but she suddenly became aware of her exposed position and besides, her sick brother came first.

* * *

_Ryqik sensed power radiating from the dark female Shistavanen standing with her back towards him. Her power reminded him much of what his mother possessed before her death, but there was something else here, something warning him away. In her hand she gripped a red bladed Lightsabre that cast a red sheen as she turned to face him. Her yellow eyes stared at him intensely, stirring up emotions that he had never felt before. _

He looked down at his body, expecting to see a child, but instead he saw that belonging to an adult. He lifted his gaze to fix his eyes on something behind her. The black furred female stepped aside and Ryqik recognised the still body of Nakita. Anger rose inside him and he activated his sliver blade and charged at the dark female, but before their blades could make contact, the dark female battered him away with the Force. Ryqik's body struck the wall and he felt a burning sensation as the dark female poured Force lightening into him.

* * *

"Ryqik!" Nakita's voice broke through into his feverish mind. He coughed once or twice before the pain in his leg shot through him with a vengeance. He looked about in confusion before his eyes focused on the concerned expression of his sister. He realised then that it was all just a dream brought on by his sickness. She had gone, his mind dimly recalled her leaving and now she was back and she was soaked through to the skin.

His sensitive nose caught the enticing scent of blood and on closer inspection, he detected the blood on Nakita's narrow muzzle. Ryqik regained enough of his senses to realise that he was hungry. Nakita tore meat off the carcass with her sharp claws and handed it to him.

Ryqik ate it immediately and was able to stay focused enough to take his fill before the pain was too much for him and he had to sleep, laying his head close to where Nakita sat. It was only then that Nakita allowed herself to eat, picking most of the bones clean.

Nakita cradled his head in her lap, stroking the fur of his head like their mother used to do when they were sick. Nakita watched his lips quiver as small growls and little squeaks escaped his throat. She sensed his anxiety as he fought against feverish nightmares. Nakita unconsciously sent him calming emotions. Even in the darkest depths of his mind, Ryqik was dimly aware of her comforting presence and he used her as an anchor to cling to. Without her, Ryqik would have just given up and let death claim him.

* * *

Nakita stirred as she heard a noise - a crash, as though someone or something was snooping around. She glanced across at Ryqik - who was a bundle of fur, sleeping the deep sleep of the sick.

Nakita sniffed the air, trying to determine who or what the snooper was. She bared her teeth and emitted a low growl of warning.

"Whoa - it's just me," came a familiar voice.

"Ziqi," Nakita said, remembering his name. "What do you want?" She stood, putting herself between the intruder and her injured brother. After what had happened in the last day or so, Nakita wasn't willing to trust anyone easily.

"I saw what happened. I've come to help. It took me ages to find you. You holed yourself up pretty good."

"Well, with all the goons like those who shot my brother roaming around, it's hardly surprising," Nakita said, a little more haughtily than she intended.

Ziqi didn't know what to say to that. Nar Shaddaa was a rough place and Nakita and her brother were lucky not to have run into difficulties before today, discounting the murder of their parents, of course.

"I know someone who can help. Her name is Sarana Veloria. She's a doctor, helped my brother when he got beat up by a gang of spice dealers."

Nakita looked at her brother, then back at Ziqi, wondering just what his brother had been doing in the first place to get beat up by a gang of spice dealers. "Why would she do that?"

"She used to work for the Empire," the Bothan youth replied, taken aback a little by Nakita's growl at the mention of the Empire. "A specialist in ones like us. She got tired of being treated like she was incapable by her superiors and of being forced to do experiments on our kind. She quit - came to Nar Shaddaa to hide from the Imperials."

"Among the rest of the crims and the unwanted," Nakita mumbled, but she was unsure if she trusted the care of her brother to one who had done experiments on non - human species and what if she still worked for the Empire?

"About right," Ziqi said.

"So, why does she do it?" Nakita asked.

Ziqi shrugged his shoulders in a copied human gesture. "Cos she feels guilty about what the Empire made her do, I guess."

Nakita glanced down at the brother again. What if she was genuine, she asked herself, and I didn't do anything and Ryqik died? Despite her reservations, Nakita turned back to Ziqi and said, "Help me get Ryqik to her."

* * *

"My Commander has informed me that the smuggler, Cyhen Hes has shown up on Coruscant," Jed Darkfyre said to the assembled Archetype Council. Rivik, a few other Archetypes and the Governor himself were present. Za and Nidet were absent for the moment, Nidet having been called away for an urgent message and the Force knows what Za was up to.

"Coruscant? What would a smuggler be doing there?" Laej asked.

Kopek tried hard not to smile to himself. He knew exactly where the smuggler in question was and the humans were too blind to see that she was right under their noses.

It was at that moment that Za entered the Council chamber.

"Forget about her! I have better news. The prisoner under interrogation has divulged the location of a hidden Rebel base."

Rivik's ears twitched in interest. So, this was why Nidet's friend was captured.

"Rebel base? Where?" the Governor asked, steepleing his fingers.

"It is on a planet called Rogja."

Rogja was familiar to Rivik. It had been a planet colonised by the Shistavanens in the past. Though it had never been proven, it was thought that the Senator Mizet had stayed there a while after the Uvenan Massacre. It was not really surprising then, that it was home to a Rebel base.

Until then, Rivik had kept his peace, but he spoke up now.

"If you plan on attacking this base, it will take some time to organise the attack," he said.

Za looked at him critically, before turning his gaze back to the Governor. "My Lord, I suggest we attack this base immediately. If word gets out, the Rebels will slip through our fingers and we need to continue to scour Shistavanen space of this menace to our security."

"Prepare your fleet, Captain Darkfyre for departure. Alpha Premier Rivik, I want all senior Archetypes to lead the ground troops..."

Nidet's arrival cut the Governor off and her posture of grave concern caught the attention of everyone in the room. "I've just received some devastating news. The planet of Alderaan has been destroyed!"

She inserted the data disc into the holoprojector that the Council chamber's occupants were seated around. It showed the Death Star turning it's superlaser onto the peaceful planet of Alderaan and shattered the planet into asteroids.

"This is outrageous! It is obviously a forgery! The Empire would never destroy a planet within its thrall," Darkfyre rose to his feet, threatening Nidet. Rivik reacted instantly, scrambling up on to the table and drawing his sword, the tip just centimetres from his nose. Za reacted to Rivik's threat, more out of the chance to depose him rather than to protect the Imperial.

The Governor, seeing that the situation could get out of control, banged his fist on the table, causing the holoprojection to flicker and break up.

"Enough! Stand down before I have all of you arrested and executed."

Za and Rivik glared angrily at each other for a moment. Za was the first to back down, lowering his gaze and flattening his ears against his skull before sheathing his sword, all the time seething with hatred inside, wishing he'd just had the nerve to dispatch his rival there and then. Rivik waited until Nidet was away from Darkfyre before submitting to the Governor's orders.

It was only then that he realised Za had wounded him slightly. The meeting broke up then, in case tempers should escalate again, leaving the two Archetype lovers alone.

"You're hurt," Nidet whispered as she probed his wound with a finger. Her hand came away, covered with his blood.

"I'll live."

* * *

Kopek entered Za's quarters, wondering what his brother wanted now. They were only half-brothers, which accounted to Za not suffering from the same affliction to Bacta as his younger half-brother, but they came from the same mother. Their mother was retired now, living on the edges of the forest. Both Kopek's and Za's fathers were dead now, having been killed in the infighting that had occurred between the Archetypes in the days following the massacre in space around the planet. There was some speculation that Za had orchestrated his own father's death, but as with such things at a chaotic time, there was so much going on and so many cover ups that sorting out fact from fiction was near high impossible.

Even Kopek didn't know for sure. He looked out the window at the distant mountains. They always made him feel small and insignificant but at the same time filled him with a sense of power that dissipated immediately when he heard Za coming out of the adjoining room. Kopek turned his gaze from the mountains to his brother, his ears flattening slightly against his skull, but not going all the way down. Now he just felt insignificant.

"What do you want this time, Za?"

"Assassination. I want you to kill Nidet. The forthcoming raid on the Rebel planet Rogja will give you the opportunity to do that. Make it look like she was killed in battle," Za said.

"Resisted your advances, has she, Za?" Kopek sneered at him, he couldn't resist giving him the same treatment Za used on him, besides, he enjoyed it.

"No, dear brother," Za said, condescendingly. "She is bedding Rivik. Killing her would throw him off balance and I have reason to believe that she is a Rebel."

He went on to tell Kopek what Azet had reported to him about that night she had seen them in the walled garden.

Kopek hated Za's tone. "Wouldn't it be better that she live, so we can learn the Rebel movements?"

"Suddenly grown a sense of morality, have you? You had no problem doing what you did to Lakah, even though before your - accident, you were once so close -"

Kopek bared his teeth at him. "I recall you got off on the whole thing too, Za. We still need to know what the Rebels are up to. They are as much a threat to us as the Imperials."

Za chuckled. "Isn't that what your golden furred lupa is for?" Kopek looked at him in surprise. He didn't think anyone knew about Cyhen. "Don't be so surprised, little half-brother. I know your movements better than you know them yourself. Clever move, shacking up with her like that, saving her from Jahen. Getting her to trust you while at the same time using her to track down her Rebel contacts, to betray her friends." Za revealed his teeth in a scowl full of hatred. "I hear you're quite sweet on her. It won't last, though. She'll find out about your betrayal of her friends eventually and then she'll dump you or she'll leave you for someone who is whole."

Kopek looked at his mechanical arm and then looked at Za, seething with anger. Za knew how to push his buttons, how to hurt him. Everything always came back to that mechanical arm, cold and dead, like only part of him was alive. A tear stung his real eye. He was a machine, not a real person and his ears flattened all the way down against his skull.

"Of course, if you don't succeed in killing Nidet, I can always send a bounty hunter after your lupa - "

Kopek's heart sank at the thought of losing her. Even though he was using her to track down the Rebels, he still had strong feelings for her. She was the only female to see past his prosthetics to the Shistavanen inside, something that not even Lakah had done after the accident. For that he loved Cyhen more than life itself. He turned to leave, unable to listen anymore. Za's voice pursued him out the door.

"Don't screw this up!"

* * *

"I would feel less vulnerable if you were at my back," Nidet said.

Rivik gave her an understanding smile that disappeared as he spoke. "There needs to be an Archetype on board the bridge. As leader of the Council, they chose me. I don't like it anymore than you do."

They were sat on the floor of Rivik's quarters, which were sparse except for the various weapons he had trained all his life to use. Now they remained locked away apart from the time he took to train to keep his fighting skills at their peak. He missed the battlefield, war and the hunt was what he lived for but to fight without real reason was useless for a warrior of honour. The trouble of getting to the top of anything is that you cease to do what you love and become the very thing that you swore to yourself as a young person you'd never want to be. Now, because of Nidet, he wanted to be fighting on the ground with her. He couldn't bear it if he lost her.

He rose from the mat of weaved grass fibres he used for a bed and walked over to the wall where a sword was displayed. He lifted it off the wall and turned to Nidet standing behind him.

"Take this. It is a vibrosword and almost as effective at cutting through Stormtrooper armour as a Jedi Lightsabre."

"You're expecting trouble from them?"

"I don't know. Za might use this to his advantage. He knows we are lovers. He has spies everywhere. He'll try to do something, he might -"

"Try to kill me," Nidet finished for him.

Rivik nodded before continuing. "Be on your guard, Nidet. I need you to do something. Limit the number of Rebel casualties, if you can, even let them escape. Because of the swiftness of this strike against them, I can't even warn them."

Nidet took the sword from him and swung the heavy blade in the air above her head. Rivik brought his blade about to intercept hers and Nidet cut upwards, sharply, knocking the blade out of his paws, sending it clattering to the floor.

"Impressive."

Nidet grinned at him, propping the vibrosword against the wall. "That's not the only thing about me that you will find impressive." She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her muzzle and he forgot all about the forthcoming battle and all that it might take away from him.

* * *

Cyhen came out of her sleep suddenly. The image of Alderaan burning plagued her mind as she tried to sleep. It had been that way lately and even though it was early evening, she couldn't bring herself to go out. Lakah's death also played on her mind. It had been Lakah who had gotten her involved with the Rebels in the first place, though her commitment to the cause had never been as absolute as hers. Her door chimed and slipping on her robe, she got up to answer it.

It was Kopek, dressed in a nerf hide knee length coat, a chain mail shirt and trousers. He'd finally gotten a new sword made, which hung in a scabbard from his belt.

Taking note of her robe, he asked, "Did I wake you?"

"No, I -" Cyhen shook her head to clear it. "Come on in."

"I see you managed to get a coach," he said, taking off his coat and sword belt, along with his other weapons, but kept one blaster and a vibroblade on him as Cyhen fetched a bottle of some local brew and some glasses. He took them off her as they entered her bedroom and poured them both a drink as she laid back down on her bed.

"So, what'cha doing going to bed this early? You haven't got someone hiding in the wardrobe, have you?" he asked jokingly and pulled the chain mail shirt over his head and peeled off his trousers. He sat down next to her.

"No. I'm tired," Cyhen said, letting the robe slip off her shoulders and nestled up against him. "I've just not been sleeping well at all lately -" she told him about the death of Lakah, keeping back what she had witnessed at Alderaan - she didn't know if she could trust him with that. She had contacted Kannec and told him that he needed to come to Uvena III, though she hadn't told him the reason - that sort of news just wasn't suitable to be given over the holonet or what little of it was left for non military use. He could see that she was tired and so just held her, tightening his flesh arm around her waist.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow. I have to go into battle," Kopek said, bringing the glass to his lips with his mechanical hand and downing a significant portion of it. He sounded stressed.

"Have you ever thought of leaving them?"

"Yes, plenty of times. I hate what the Empire does, I hate what it makes me do, but while the Archetypes still exist, our people have some semblance of freedom," Kopek knew the flaws in what he was saying. Yes, some Shistavanens like Za had freedom, but only a few elite at the top, who were unfit for it anyway and Kopek knew the truth of why he stuck around. It allowed him to be a bully, to strike back at those who taunted him behind his back and he loved it! It made him feel powerful and in control of something.

He bent his head to kiss her muzzle, but she was already asleep, finding comfort in the warmth, scent and strength of his body. He finished the rest of his drink and hers too, which had remained untouched.

* * *

Darkfyre resented the fact that he was having to share his bridge with Rivik. He glanced across at Rivik standing quietly, staring out of the veiwport, seemingly mesmerised by the white haze of hyperspace.

Rivik was thinking of Nidet and his stomach tied itself up in knots every time he thought of her facing battle alone. His mind ran through literally hundreds of scenarios in which she might be killed and every single one made his heart flutter and feeling cold and empty inside.

He wondered if this was how his father felt standing at the side of the Senator Mizet all those years ago. He still remembered the empty feeling inside when he learnt of the massacre that had claimed so many, including his father.

Rivik had only just finished his training then, thrown suddenly into the adult world where he had to succeed to survive. Survive he had, but he still remembered the pain of losing his father, the empty gaze of his mother's eyes as she told him that his father was dead.

Shortly after, his mother had died leading the revolt that followed in protest against the massacre, but that had been short lived. Now, he was doing the same thing. He was going out to help crush a rebellion that he believed in and he hated himself for it.

He wanted to be down there, not fighting against the Rebels but with them. Instead he forced himself to appear strong and loyal to the Empire, he told himself that the best way to defeat an enemy was from within and part of him was fooled into believing it. But his fear of losing Nidet still remained and his track record with losing someone that he loved in battle was not good.

Darkfyre wondered what was going through the alien's mind and decided he didn't want to know. Tension was high on the bridge and not just because they were going into battle. Many of his deck officers had come from human only worlds that were strictly regulated by the Empire. Aliens were not common on those worlds and if there were any, the aliens were usually in institutions kept away from the general human population, forced to work as slaves or used for more sinister "projects". Occasionally you might see one in the lowest, run down cantinas.

The fact that Rivik was so bestial looking only reinforced in the minds of the deck officers that the Imperial Doctrine stating that all aliens are animals that they were brought up to believe. All recognised, however, that "it" was a very dangerous animal and so tried not to voice their prejudice and fears in his presence. The alien hadn't moved since stepping onto the bridge, hadn't even spoken or turned his gaze from the veiwport.

Darkfyre wished for the thousandth time that the Empire had assigned him to a more human world.

As far as aliens went, Shistavanens were one of the most disconcerting you could meet. Perhaps it was their resemblance to the ancient werewolf myths told to frighten children, or that they reminded you of your own bestial nature, buried deep under false illusions of civilisation.

Or maybe it was because they were one of the first species to openly and honestly rebel against Palpatine, not for money or personal gain, but for that most frightening of concepts to any dictator: FREEDOM.


End file.
